Tales of a Wizard: Flesh Masks
by Applechip
Summary: The vampires of the Red Court have found their way into a new and vulnerable world. Wizard Harry Dresden and Knight of the Cross Michael Carpenter chased after the creatures and now find themselves trapped in the same world the vampires are slowly taking. They must lend their experience to the local inhabitants if they are to fight off the growing horde, and the new Red King.
1. Chapter 1

**Tales of a Wizard: Flesh Masks Ch. 1**

My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. I am a private investigator in the city of Chicago. I am a wizard and warden of the White Council of wizards. I protect those who can't protect themselves from creatures most can't even begin to comprehend. I have spat in the face of many a monstrous thing, whether or not it was the smart thing to do. I have chased down FBI agents that were using enchanted fur belts to become werewolves. I've killed a loup-garou, a sort of super werewolf, with my mother's silver pentacle amulet. I've even reanimated a T-Rex to use as a means of transport to get to a madman trying to make himself into a newborn god. I then proceeded to smash his teeth in during the extremely complex spell, causing one nasty backlash that spread him over five counties. But none of those have been as just plain weird as what's happened lately.

The White Council is the governing body for all the wizards on the planet. They don't so much try to enforce the difference between right and wrong as they try to limit the power available to practitioners of magic. They have a few simple rules that all wizards must follow, or be executed. They do not make deals, and they are not merciful. If you break one of the Council's laws you are deemed a warlock and executed, sometimes on the spot. Despite their rather harsh procedures their main goal is to protect humanity from those that would harm it, whether they are warlocks or monsters.

The Red Court vampires are one of the more active and monstrous of the creatures that plague man-kind and see humanity as a massive free buffet table. The White Council has been at war with the Red Court for several years now, ever since some upstart wizard had a disagreement with one of their nobles and wound up killing her, her vampire vassals, and burned her house to the ground. Totally not the wizard's fault, whoever it was.

I clutched at my chest when that particular memory surfaced in my mind, the night that those monsters had taken her from me. _Susan_, her name echoed unbidden in my mind. I pushed that memory away, for fear of becoming a pining loon.

The war has taken its toll on all involved. The Red Court were feeding and turning more innocents than ever to cover their losses. While the wardens, the soldiers/enforcers of the White Council, have had heavy losses and had to start conscripting any young wizards with sufficient talent to be a threat. This is where I came in. Since I point blank refuse to do most of the morally questionable warden duties, I've been assigned to run a training camp to get new talents up and ready for battle. The fact that most of these 'new talents' were mostly rebellious teens that were barely old enough to drive, meant that training them was annoying to say the least, and a constant migraine to say the most.

"Emily, maintain your focus! If you get distracted your shield will falter and give," I yelled at a tiny, rosy-cheeked girl who looked more at home in a girl-scout uniform than learning combat spells.

"S-sorry mister, Dresden," squeaked Emily.

"It's alright, you just need more focus. You need to be able to block bullets and well as claws. Keep at it." I felt sorry for the kid. She wasn't bad, she was just young. But this war demands a certain level of callousness that these kids have to give if they want to survive. I continued down the practice line to see how the other recruits were faring. "Great work Charles, excellent fireball. Keep practicing and later I'll show you how to get them to detonate on impact."

"Awesome! Thank you sir!" replied a hulk of a kid that looked like he could've been on a football coach's recruitment poster loudly stating, 'This could be you!'

"Francis, what are you… Oh for the love of… Someone help Francis! He set his foot on fire again," I shouted hooking a thumb back at a wispy blonde-haired kid, whose right leg was currently engulfed in flames.

"I got it!" shouted Charles as he ran forward and put out the fire with the bucket of water I kept handy ever since Francis's second such incident.

"Alright it's getting pretty late. Everybody, that's enough for today! Grab dinner and then turn in!" I shouted as I turned around and headed for the picnic area we set aside for meals. I grabbed a plate of baked beans and ham slices that had been prepared for me and sat down next to one of my oldest and best friends.

"You're pushing them too hard," said Michael Carpenter, a huge man who by any rights shouldn't have been able to speak in a soft caring voice, but did anyway.

Michael Carpenter was a man that was completely ripped from head to toe. He looked like the kind of guy that could've crushed your hand into powder if you shook it, but had the mind of a saint and would've given his life to protect another without a moment's hesitation. But I suppose that's what you get with the man who I've dubbed the Fist of God. Michael is a member of the Three Knights of the Cross. Well, now two knights. The knights wander the world on gut feelings they get from on high and somehow always end up wherever they're needed most. These knights wield three different swords with a nail from the Crucifixion worked into the hilt. Yes, THE Crucifixion. These swords are: _Amoracchius_, the sword of love; _Fidelacchius_, the sword of faith; and _Esperacchius_, the sword of hope. Michael's sword is _Amoracchius_, a European style great sword with a cruciform hilt.

"I know I'm pushing them hard, but they have to be ready as soon as possible. Everyday there are fewer and fewer of us left, Michael. Hells bells, I hate even considering using these guys. They're just kids, and I feel like I'm prepping them just to throw them into a meat grinder," I said sulkily. I glanced down at my beans and found myself absently wondering, _Is this really what cowboys ate constantly?_

Michael placed a firm hand on my shoulder. "Have faith Harry. There will always be a way for good to overcome, even if it does not seem so." This was a common argument Michael resorted to whenever he or someone around him was beginning to feel dreary about the work ahead and didn't see a good way through.

It's not that I don't have faith in the Almighty, or whatever you wanna call Him. It's just that over the years I've developed a system that works fairly well: Do not attract the attention of anything godly, god-like, or god-ish. From what I've seen it's rarely good when an entity of that magnitude focuses its attention to a single person. That being said I do believe in continuing trends, and from what I've seen of Michael and his 'job' he has a useful habit of showing up wherever he was needed. The fact that he 'found' our hidden camp was not lost to me. Don't get me wrong I love the guy like a brother, but I'm also wary of what his mere presence could mean. It's for this reason that I doubled tonight's guard shifts, much to the groaning of the other wardens. But screw them, I like being paranoid.

About thirty minutes passed in complete silence as we ate our meals and scanned the surrounding landscape for signs of any kind of danger, and the dwindling light of the sun falling over the horizon made that very difficult. The fifteen or so recruits I was watching over made their way into their makeshift tent to lay down with pictures of dancing pears in their heads, or whatever the hell kids dreamt about these days.

"Well I've had enough of this philosophical debate," I said, voice dripping with smugness. "Go ahead and rest up, I'll take first shift with the other two wardens on duty," I grunted as we finished our meals, motioning him to the tent the recruits were staying in. If something did happen I'd want Michael positioned to best protect the kids. Michael began to walk towards the tent and was about halfway to it when the first battle cry rang over the hills.

A high pitched cry coming from a throat that couldn't have been human pierced the night and sent shivers down my spine. Almost instantly one of the extra wardens I'd placed on duty let out a shout and sent the magical equivalent of a flare into the air above where the cry came from. The now very illuminated hill side showed what looked like three or four seven-man teams of black monsters charging at their position, all from the same direction too.

_I do love it when they do half the work for us._

I glanced back at Michael who had his sword out of its scabbard and at the ready for anything that might cross his path. "Michael, get to the recruits!" I half shouted while turning to meet the oncoming mini-horde. He didn't need telling twice, Michael turned on the spot and darted for the tent.

As a general rule, don't mess with a pissed off wizard, especially a warden. Fully trained wardens can be as inventive as they are ruthless if you give them a moment to realize a danger and respond to it. The flaming hell that was raining down on our uninvited guests was a testament to that. Including me, the five wardens were holding strong against the thirty or so Red Court vampires that were determined to see us dead. With a variety of shouts and cries from the others, several spells shot forward to cut down the attack. One warden was doing a passable impersonation of a fully-automatic combat rifle by firing a constant stream of red hot stars from the end of his staff. Another was chanting and holding some kind of charm while lightning strikes fell to the ground directly on our attackers. And another was doing probably the most creative thing I'd ever seen a warden do, with a shout she created a massive block of ice, about twenty feet in diameter, allowing the thermal energy that once occupied that space to be used as fuel for the others' spells, but she wasn't done. With a few more exaggerated motions she shattered the thing into a million pieces of razor sharp shards of ice and sent every single one at the charging horde. The resulting mess doesn't bear thinking on. I just opted to shoot fireballs at them. What can I say, I'm a traditionalist.

After being sure the other wardens could handle what was left of the head on charge, I broke off to take stock of what else had happened. To my slight disappointment there weren't any other forces advancing on us.

_Damn, the Red Court must be getting pretty desperate_, I thought to myself._ If they're willing to risk a full frontal assault like that, not to mention that battle cry alerted all the camp defenders._ A growing feeling of dread went down my spine as I went through the logic chain. _Which means that while we were busy concentrating on the main force of cannon-fodder, we left something else unprotected._ A high pitched scream broke through the night, a scream that was coming from the recruits' tent._ Oh dear God, NO!_

"Michael!" I shouted as I raced towards the tent even while most of those that were sleeping inside were busy running out of it. I burst through the tent flap that was the main entrance just in time to see Michael thrust his sword clean through the chest of a Red Court vampire. As he pulled the sword away the blade shone with a brilliant white light that lit the vampire's body aflame with a pure white fire, originating at the wound and spreading to completely engulf its thrashing remains. I don't call him the Fist of God for nothing, folks.

"Harry, are the others okay?" Michael asked with a worried look on his face.

"Yes, the rest of the recruits made it out fine, and the wardens are wrapping up the main assault. What-what happened here?" I asked, a slight choke in my throat over the last few words. The tent behind Michael was covered with a thin layer of blood, black and red. Behind Michael were two unmoving forms lying in blood soaked covers on their beds. I recognized them immediately, they were Charles and Francis. Their throats had been slit from ear to ear. The vampires had wanted to kill the recruits quietly.

"I was too late to save them," muttered a forlorn Michael. "By the time I got to a position to help, they were already gone. I made sure the creatures that did this paid dearly." A hardened look came over his face, "There were five, and judging from the shadows, another outside. I slew the three on the floor here and managed to wound one other before they fled. But Harry, they took one."

"What?" I asked, not really wanting to hear worse news.

"When I was fighting they took the recruit from the end bed there." He pointed at the last bed in the row. "The one I wounded was the one taking her, that's its blood there." He pointed at the black puddle at the foot of the bed. I stepped forward to look at the name-tag on the bed, it read: Emily.

These monsters' objective the whole time was the recruits. To prevent the wardens from getting the reinforcements we so desperately needed by attacking inexperienced and relatively defenseless kids and it pissed me off. If Michael hadn't been here, it would've been much worse. By the time he'd finished recounting what had happened I'd made up my mind. I wasn't going to let them get away with this. Emily was still alive and she needed my help.

I stepped forward, took out the crystal I use whenever I want to perform a tracking spell, and dipped it into the pool of blood that Michael had pointed out. Assuming that its owner was still alive, this would lead me straight to them. I stepped out of the tent through the hole the vampires had made. The sun bit at my eyes as I held up the crystal covered in the vampire's blood in front of me. I focused my will on creating the link between the blood on the crystal and its original donor, and then poured energy into that link. The crystal glowed dully, and pulled due north.

I flashed my teeth in a wicked grin, "I've got you now." I charged ahead at a dead sprint in the direction my spell indicated.

"Harry, wait!" Michael shouted as he struggled to keep up with me.

I didn't care. All that mattered to me was getting to the last of the vampires and the little girl they had taken. Michael and I ran like that for a couple of minutes. Somehow he was able to more or less keep up with me, despite the fact that Michael was built like a brawler and not a runner. You don't see me complaining though. The crystal gave a sharp tug to the left just as we ran past a massive wall of rock, suggesting that they were nearby and were probably catching their breath on the side of this cliff.

I rounded the corner, and felt my heart freeze. There, sprawled in a heap on the ground, was Emily, still rosy cheeked but now glassy eyed as well. I stepped forward to examine her and saw that there was no blood. They had simply broken her neck, a minor comfort considering all the other things they could've done. She looked almost peaceful, like a great burden had been lifted from her. She had probably proved to be more trouble than she was worth during their escape. Just behind me Michael rounded the corner, panting slightly.

"Darn it, Harry. You can't go charging ahead like that! You're going to get yourself… Mother of God," Michael whispered as he saw the young girl's body.

I was beginning to lose control. I can't stand it to see a woman hurt. I know I shouldn't want to see anyone hurt, but it's always been worse with women, especially when they're as young as Emily had been. She was just starting to find her way in this world only to have it ripped from her. It's just not right.

_NO!_ I screamed in my head. _They are not getting away with this! I will not let them go unpunished! Not now, not ever! NEVER AGAIN!_ I took my tracking crystal and noted that it was pointing at the rock wall next to us. _They opened a Way. They have a wizard… super._ Behind me Michael was finishing up Emily's last rights.

"_Aparturum_!" I screamed while making a slashing gesture at the wall, and felt the fabric of reality part as I opened a portal to the Nevernever.

The Nevernever is essentially a realm of pure magic that connects everything to everywhere. Wizards commonly use it to cheat and use shortcuts where conventional transport would take too long or would be too risky. Wizards also commonly use it as a handy escape route.

"Harry, wait for me!" Michael shouted as I stepped through. Michael followed me through, and we stood there assessing our surroundings. We were standing in what looked like a massive empty parking lot. There was just flat grey pavement as far as my eyes could see. A little too my right and a couple hundred feet away were three black figures, calmly walking away.

"YOU MURDERING BASTARDS!" I felt myself roaring at the three black dots. Sometimes my mouth acts without consent from my brain. The figures paused mid-step, turned around to see the furious wizard and his hulking friend with a glowing great sword, blanched and ran. I'll give them credit, vampires are fast as hell, but then again so is almost every other supernatural thing I've ever come across.

Michael and I chased after the three retreating dots as fast as our legs would allow. We continued our chase for almost a full two minutes before I noticed that they were up to something. Ahead of us a thick fog bank began forming out of nowhere. The vampires turned towards the fog and disappeared into it.

_No doubt their wizard trying to get us lost, but I've still got a link to you bastards,_ I thought as I raised my tracking crystal to point the way.

"Harry, are you sure about this?" Michael asked upon noticing the fog rolling in.

"Just stay behind me and keep close!" I shouted back.

We plunged through the fog with my tracking spell guiding our way. Almost immediately I noticed that there was definitely something off about this fog, it seemed alive with static and the ground was shifting from grey pavement to a flat forest floor. I pushed all questions from my mind as I pursued my prey.

We broke through the fog after about thirty seconds and found myself standing in an odd looking forest. There was almost nothing on the ground, no random plants, no roots, and no fallen pinecones. The sole reason I could identify it as a forest was because massive trees sprouted from the ground and towered over us, but even these were curiously bare. The only limbs I could make out were near the very tops of the trees, like they were massive umbrellas sprouting out of the ground.

My crystal guided us to one of the larger of the trees as I realized they'd opened another Way.

"Michael be ready. I don't know what's on the other side of this thing," I said as I readied my shield bracelet and got my staff charged to be used as a tool of fiery death, or massive club, whichever I felt like.

With another slashing motion and another shout of "_Aparturum_" I ripped open the portal and charged through. I was mentally preparing myself to wade through a Red Court den, or to be faced with some unspeakable horror that would have ripped my sanity away just by daring to look at it, but what I got was something more like the Hundred Acre Wood. Everything was bright and colorful, the ground was a perfect green without any dead spots, and the sky was an almost uniform blue. The trees and plants were similarly vibrant and colorful. Michael landed next to me as we took in the bizarre surroundings.

"This doesn't look like any place I've ever been to. Where do you think we are?" I asked Michael.

My entire body began to tingle like when your foot falls asleep, but everywhere.

"Michael, do you feel that?"

The feeling intensified and Michael doubled over beside me, clearly in a great deal of pain. Something was terribly wrong, we needed to leave.

"Michael! Come on man, GET UP! We need to get out of here! Come on get up, we've got to-"

PAIN. Pain such that I've never felt before and hope to never feel again, wreaked havoc on my body. Every nerve ending was on fire, every bone was shattering into splinters, every cell in my body was being electrified, and my organs seemed to be ripping themselves apart and reorganizing themselves. Even my charred and blackened left hand, which had been partially melted by a vampire with ambitions of arson during a previous venture, seemed to regain complete feeling only to have it set on fire again.

I only had to endure this agony for a few seconds. I let out a choking scream that sounded more at home in a slaughter house than coming from my own throat, and was swallowed by a merciful darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Tales of a Wizard: Flesh Masks Ch. 2**

"That was a delicious breakfast, Applejack. Thank you for inviting me," said Twilight Sparkle as she and her friend Applejack trotted away from one of the newer diners in Ponyville.

"Shoot, think nuthin' of it Twi. It's always nice to shake it up a little every once in a while," Applejack responded cheerfully.

While Twilight did not necessarily agree with that last statement, because her life was almost entirely based around order and routines, she did have to admit that the impromptu breakfast was much better than her planned breakfast of dandelion sandwiches at home. It certainly put her in a good mood as the two friends trotted towards Twilight's library.

"So what do you have planned for the day anyway?" Twilight asked.

"Not much actually, just finished bringin' in the apple harvest a few days ago. Granny's working the stand 'ere in town, and Big Mac's busy taking the rest of the harvest to Canterlot where they'll be sold or shipped across Equestria," Applejack said with an unmistakable note of pride in her voice. "So for the time being I've got nuthin' to do till it comes to closing time for Granny's stall. I was going to go by Pinkie's later. She's usually good for a few laughs to pass the time."

"What about Big Mac and hauling rest of the apples to Canterlot, shouldn't you be helping him?" asked Twilight, thinking of Applejack's gargantuan brother.

"Oh no, he's full on helpers. The folks at the train are more than happy to give him a hoof. I think he gives 'em a free lunch for their trouble," Applejack responded with a slight frown on her face, as though she didn't like the idea of giving away the apples that she worked hard to buck out of her family's apple trees.

"Oh, well then, you're free to browse the library if you get bored. I'm sure there are some books in there that'll be of great interest to a farm pony like you."

"Thanks Twi, I might just take you up on that offer. Say, what're your plans for today anyway?" Applejack asked, and almost immediately regretted doing so.

"I'm glad you asked! My first task is to get Spike to go and get me some more parchment for my checklists. We always seem to be running out of parchment. I wonder why. Then Princess Celestia asked me to look into the history of dragons, I think she's trying to negotiate with them. Did you know that a dragon's scales can get as hard as diamonds when they're fully grown! And then there's…"

Twilight waxed eloquent about her plans for the day and what she'd already learned about dragons and their history for the next ten minutes as they walked back to the library.

While Applejack found the entire monologue to be about as interesting as a dead tree, she never cut Twilight off or tried to change the subject from the topic she loved so much. Applejack respected her too much for that. So she resigned herself to smiling and nodding her head while Twilight went on with her ramble.

They were nearly at the library, and Applejack's left eye was just starting to twitch, when they heard it. A deep throated bellow of pure agony thundered across their ears.

"What in tarnation was that?" asked Applejack, eyes and ears questing for the source of the noise.

"I don't know, but it sounded like it came from behind the library, maybe nearer to the Everfree Forest," Twilight answered a slight panicked edge to her voice.

"Well what're we standing 'round for let's check it out," Applejack said. She turned to the direction the sound came from, reared back, and shot off at a full gallop.

While not really wanting to go towards a possible danger, Twilight knew that she had to. It sounded like somepony had been hurt, and if she could help she would. She turned and raced off after Applejack.

Twilight and Applejack were galloping for a little more than a minute when they rounded past the library and the Everfree Forest came into view. Near the tree line Twilight saw two unfamiliar forms lying in a heap. They were two ponies, lying on the ground unconscious.

As Twilight got closer she saw something that threatened her just eaten breakfast. She thought she saw movement beneath their coats, as though their muscles were moving and rearranging themselves of their own accord. When she got close enough for a proper inspection the sickening motion seemed to have stopped. So for the sake of her sanity, not to mention her breakfast, she buried that image in the back of her mind.

The two ponies before them were both full grown stallions, one a unicorn, and the other an earth pony.

The unicorn was easily as tall as Big Mac maybe even taller, but leaner. He had more of a runner's build, all stringy muscle and long legs. His coat was a dark grey, almost like ash. His mane and tail were similar to Twilight's except shorter, jet black, and had a constant disheveled look. His legs ended in black fetlocks similar to his mane and tail. But what stood out the most was this unicorn's horn. His horn was a good couple of inches longer than most unicorns, including her own, and it came to a wickedly sharp point on the end.

_This pony looks like he could be dangerous_, thought Twilight.

In almost a stark contrast to the unicorn the earth pony was built like a tank, easily matching Big Mac for sheer muscle mass. He was brilliantly colored and had a slight calming aura around him, even if he was unconscious. His coat was a bright white to rival Celestia's, while his mane, tail, and fetlocks were all a golden yellow so brilliant it hurt to look at him for long. His mane and tail looked like they were styled after the royal guards, short cut and functional so as not to get in the way, but at the same time styled slightly so it looked like they could've grown that way naturally.

Any other details were hidden under a very loose collection of clothing that both ponies were wearing. The clothes were far too big for them, or for that matter, any pony Twilight knew.

_So why are they wearing them?_ Twilight thought to herself. _Maybe plain, loose fitting clothing is fashionable wherever they're from. I don't think I could take two steps in it without tripping over myself._

There were other items on the ground around them. Nearest the unicorn was a large staff with runes engraved on it she didn't understand, a bracelet, a couple woven rings, and what looked like a smaller version of the staff.

_A wand maybe, is this guy a wandering magician like Trixie?_ Twilight mused, trying not to dwell too long on the memory of that particular pony.

The only thing near the earth pony was a rather vicious, yet somehow elegant, looking weapon. It looked like some kind of bladed staff with the grip in the middle.

_A body guard then? Well he's not doing a very good job if that's the case,_ Twilight thought. _Still they're defenceless and right next to the Everfree Forest, they need our help._

"What do ya reckon did this to 'em? I don't think we'd wanna tangle with something that could knock out the big-un over here, without him putting up much of a fight," Applejack said while nervously looking up and down the tree-line.

"I don't think they were attacked, look at them, no fresh injuries or bruises. Given what it'd take to do this, you'd think there'd be at least some kind of obvious injury. It's very strange." Twilight turned to face Applejack and adopted the same authoritative tone her brother used when issuing orders. "AJ help me round up their gear and clothes, then we'll get them to my place and I'll get Nurse Redheart."

"You sure about that, this unicorn looks mighty shifty," Applejack commented with a sidelong glance at the stranger.

"You'd rather leave them here?"

"No, no. Oh fine, come on then."

After a few minutes of struggling they finally managed to round up the strangers' possessions and clothing. Without the strange clothing in the way Twilight could see the strangers' cutie marks.

The unicorn had a slightly mystical symbol on his flank. It looked like five silver lines criss-crossing to form a five pointed star, with the points of the star resting on the edge of a silver circle around the star.

_This looks somewhat familiar, what was it called? A pent... a penta... a pentacle that's it! But that's really ancient magic. I don't think it's been used in over a millennia. Maybe he's a historian or a professor on ancient magic!_ Twilight thought excitedly, her heart jumping at the possibility of a new source of knowledge.

The earth pony had a strange symbol she couldn't quite put her hoof on.

_It looks like some kind of golden cross. I wonder what it means. Maybe he's a jewelry maker? No that wouldn't fit. I'll just ask him when he wakes up._ Twilight tried very hard not to think, _If they wake up_.

"Alright, let's get these two inside," Twilight said as she levitated their belongings and the unicorn in the air beside her.

"I guess I'll get the big guy," Applejack said while draping him across her back. "Whoa Nellie, what've you been eatin'? He weighs more than four barrels of apples."

With that they set back toward the library to take care of these new strangers.

* * *

Darkness, all I could see was darkness. I was floating, seemingly unsuspended, in a thick black fog. I had no way of telling where I was, or even what was up and down.

_Wh-where am I? Am I dead? What's going on? I can't remember what happened._

Suddenly I felt my feet touch solid ground and my world righted itself as I gained some sense of direction. The thick fog around me retreated and I was left standing on a perfectly flat grey surface. Before I could question my environment any further, some of the surrounding shadows coalesced to a single point about ten feet in front of me. From the darkness rose a vaguely humanoid shape that stood to its full height and turned to face me.

_Who is that? Wait, no, no I don't want to see this. I'm dreaming I have to be. Only my subconscious could be this cruel. Wake up Harry, damn it wake up! I can't see this, please. Not again._

The shadows disperse and the figure focuses to reveal Susan Rodriguez, a lovely dark-haired woman in her mid to late twenties and wearing a beautiful red form-fitting gown.

The environment around us began to shimmer and warp, like an image being shone through rippling water. Then as suddenly at it started it stopped, and I was standing in the interior of Mac's pub. The pub was a common hang out for us. It was near enough my home to allow impromptu meals or meetings and was a center of supernatural gossip in the Chicago area. From where I stood, I could see Susan and a copy of myself sitting at a table in the corner laughing over some story I told her.

Susan was a reporter for The Arcane, a little dishrag of a news paper that liked to report on supernatural events. The majority of its reports were stupid things like alien abductions, Bigfoot sightings and demon babies. How they managed to get a gem like Susan, I'll never know. Susan had a natural talent for ferreting out the truth, and would often bring back genuine stories for The Arcane, assisted sometimes by a slightly grumpy wizard.

We'd grown close. I'd share some of my more mild stories with her, and even explain some of how the supernatural worked. She would sit just there and listen, transfixed like a kid at a magic show. She'd take some notes of course to take back to her editor, but never without permission. In return she told me about herself, about her life, her dreams, everything.

We were happy together, so very happy.

Mac's pub dissolved into a haze of colors, as though the entire room had been atomized. The disparate colors shifted and resolved into the interior of a dark brick lined dungeon. In the center of the room stood Susan, but not the Susan I had first meet. She was garbed in ballistic armor with a variety of tools and gadgets placed in strategic places. She was crouched slightly with two bloodied makeshift weapons raised, ready to strike out at anything nearby.

This was the Susan I'd created. All traces of warmth and kindness were gone from her face, to be replaced by a cold detachment from the world.

During the event that sparked the our war with the Red Court, I was playing emissary for the White Council and represented them at a Red Court gala. Susan had followed me, she was captured by the vampires and I burned the whole place down to get her out safely, but I was too late. In an attempt to strike at me the late Red Court Countess, Lady Bianca had infected Susan.

Susan hadn't turned completely, not yet. She wouldn't so long as she didn't kill and feed on the life blood of another human. As I understand it, this is a nearly uncontrollable urge. Since that day Susan had joined a group of other half turned people called the Fellowship of Saint Giles, and their assaults against their would be brethren.

All of this was because of me. Susan found out about the gala and had confronted me about it, sensing a story. I could've told her the truth, I could've told her about the horrors that would be in attendance, I could've told her what might happen if she went with me, but I didn't want to. I didn't want to damage that curious optimism that resided behind her eyes. So I simply told her not to come, that I didn't want her there. I should've known she wouldn't be satisfied with that, I should've known that she'd follow me.

In an attempt to preserve her well-being, I gambled her soul, and lost them both.

My legs buckled no longer able to hold my weight as I sank to my knees, tears flowing from my eyes.

_Susan, I'm sorry. I never wanted this… I never wanted you to… This is my fault, all my fault. Susan, I'm so sorry._

The dungeon dissolved, replaced by the same empty stretch of pavement that went on forever in all directions.

Susan stood in front of me staring at me with cold, unblinking eyes. Eyes that were covered by blackness, no whites or iris, just complete blackness. Those were the eyes of a red court vampire.

This was the Susan I'd feared most. I knew that one day she would eventually fall to her blood thirst and would become the creature before me.

Susan simply stood there and stared at me, a smile slowly spreading across her face. Her smile was too wide, her teeth were too sharp.

_No, no no no._

More shadows coalesced around me and resolved into the shapes of other red court vampires. They stood in a perfect circle around me, and every single one of them stared at me with a hungry gaze that nearly made my heart stop right then and there.

_No, please stop! Wake up damn it wake up!_

My eyes were drawn back to Susan as I saw that something was moving underneath her skin. I could only watch in horror as the woman I loved, became my worst nightmare.

Horribly sharp claws erupted from her fingertips. She proceeded to use them to rip herself free of the flesh mask that she wore over her true form, revealing the black rubbery skin and bat-like face of a red court vampire. She looked back at me and laughed, a long black-spotted pink tongue sliding between her serrated teeth, and backed up into the crowd behind her.

_No…_

The crowd was enveloping her, obstructing my view.

_No, you can't have her!_

She disappeared into the group, mocking laughter coming at me from all angles.

_You can't have her! I won't let you take her!_

The laughter only intensified.

_No, no no no._

I looked up at the crowd of monsters, pure and uncontrolled rage burning in me.

_I'll kill you… I'll kill all of you!_

"I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU, YOU BAT-FACED BASTARDS!" I roared, eyes snapping open as I sat straight up out of my bed.

Of to my side I heard a high-pitched, "EEEEP." When I turned my head to see what had made the noise, I was given a great view of a textbook labeled, _A History of Dragons_ flying right at my face.

In the brief second or two before it made contact, I managed to form at least one coherent thought, _Is that a purple unicorn?_ And then for the second time in recent memory my brains were thoroughly scrambled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Tales of a Wizard: Flesh Masks Ch. 3**

"Oooooowww," I moaned after a few seconds of dizziness, or it could've been a few minutes or an hour for all I know.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't meant to hurt you. You just scared me a bit," said the purple unicorn as she made her way to my bedside, a look of concern in her large expressive eyes. If the voice is anything to judge by, she's probably female.

You know, at one point in my life a talking purple unicorn would've come across as an enormous shock. But I've been through enough weirdness to know not to try to fully understand a bizarre situation from the get go, you'll just end up confusing yourself more. So it's usually a better idea to just roll with the flow until you get a good enough handle to ask the proper questions. Even so this was definitely weird enough to warrant at least some kind of remark.

"You're a unicorn," I deadpanned. Master of wit and repartee, that's me.

She just gave me a blank expression and then raised a hoof to point at a pillow next to my head, "That's a pillow."

_She's a smart-ass. I like her already,_ I thought cocking one eyebrow. "And you can talk."

She put on a frustrated expression, while putting hoof-to-face, "Yes, I can talk. You can talk. All ponies can talk."

_Hells bells, that's just adorable._

"I'm not a pony," I said, a slight chuckle coming to my throat.

At that remark she just looked at me, genuine concern in her eyes. "Uh, are you feeling okay? You didn't hit your head did you?"

"Oh come on, look at me. Do I seriously look like a-" I paused midsentence while moving to pull the covers off of me and froze when I saw my arm, or what had been my arm. What I was moving now was covered in dark grey fur and ended in a black hoof.

In a panicked frenzy I struggled to get the covers off me, which is a lot harder to do when you don't have fingers. After fumbling around for a few seconds I succeeded in removing the covers, only to gape at what had happened to me. I had indeed been transformed into a dark grey pony.

About a million questions immediately sprang to mind, and with my brain still reeling from this unexpected shock my mouth decided to try to ask them all, simultaneously.

"I, wha… This isn't… I shouldn't… How?" I sputtered, a little bit of foam forming at the corner of my mouth.

"Shhhh, calm down, you're alright," she said putting her two fore legs on my shoulders and gently pushed me back into the bed, like a mother trying to calm her frightened child.

Through the physical contact, I felt the familiar spark of electricity that identifies a practitioner. _So she has magic, interesting._

My brain seemed to have finally caught up with the rest of me and produced a relevant, if basic, question, "Where am I?"

"You're in Ponyville. More specifically you're in the Ponyville library, my home. My friend Applejack and I found you and your friend at the edge of the Everfree Forest and brought you back here. My name is Twilight Sparkle."

"Harry Dresden," my mouth replied automatically, my brain still processing this information. "I… I'm Harry Dresden."

She tilted her head slightly as though she was trying to read my face for information. "Are you okay? You were yelling a bit."

"I had a bad dream."

"You sounded kind of angry."

I tried very hard not to think of Susan.

"It was a very bad dream," I repeated.

Twilight watched me carefully, probably wondering just how crazy I was. "Okay. Well Mr. Dresden, after we got you here safely I called our local nurse and had her come and make sure you two were alright."

I remembered that my friend had also been with me, and had presumably been through a similar process as I had. "Michael! Is Michael alright?"

"The white earth pony? Yes he's fine. He's in the guest bedroom downstairs. Nurse Redheart said that as far as she could tell you two were in perfect health and that you just needed some bed rest."

"Uh, Miss Sparkle, what do you mean by 'earth pony'?" I asked regaining some sense of manners, seeing as how she had evidently went out of her way to help both me and Michael.

Twilight looked at me with that same sense of concern in her eyes, "I think you must have hit your head pretty hard. You might have amnesia."

"Just humor me," I deadpanned.

Twilight just sighed and shook her head. "Alright fine, earth pony means a pony without a unicorn's horn or pegasus wings. Your friend Michael is an earth pony, and you are a unicorn." She pointed a hoof at my head.

"Wait, what?" I reached up a hoof to my forehead and felt the long horn of a unicorn. "Well this is, interesting," I said mostly to myself, but Twilight seemed to take it as confirmation of my insanity. Then a slightly more pressing question came to mind as I remembered how I got here. "Twilight, how long have I been unconscious?"

"A little over two days, I was going to get you two rooms at the hospital if you didn't wake up soon."

_Two days? Damn it! The Red Court squad will have gone to ground by now and the tracking spell will have worn off. There's no way I'm going to find them anytime soon._

"Mister Dresden, can you remember where you're from? If you can tell me that I can send a letter there so that somepony can come and get you," Twilight said.

"I'm pretty sure your letters can't reach where I'm from." I started to shamble out of the bed, "Help me get Michael up then we'll exchange notes. I'd prefer not to have to repeat things twic-WHOA!" I cried out while trying and failing to stand on my hind legs. _Oh great, I've literally got two left feet. This will take some getting used to._

Twilight broke out into a fit of giggles at the sight of my superior walking ability, turned and walked downstairs.

After Twilight left the room I began trying to work out how to move around with four legs. To my surprise the learning process didn't take all that long. It still took me a good few minutes, and the just put one foot in front of the other technique doesn't really work for anything with more than two feet. But after a few minutes of frustrated groaning and many bruised legs, something in my brain clicked into place and I began moving all four legs with practiced ease. It was as though I'd been a quadruped all my life.

_Well this is odd. Whatever magic that did this to me must've put the same basic instincts in my head as any other pony. Hope this isn't permanent or I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do when I get back home._

I made my way downstairs to find that Twilight was standing outside of Michael's room, apparently unwilling to wake the slumbering saint. I had no such inhibitions. I walked up to the giant of a pony and thought to myself, Damn, human or pony, Michael is a tank. Maybe I should work out more. I put a hoof on his side and shook him enough to at least partially wake him.

A smile spread over his new pony muzzle as he enjoyed whatever dream he was having. "Mmmmm, sweetie look, the kids are having another snowball fight." He obviously wasn't having the same kind of dream I had.

I leaned my head down so I was talking into one of his ears, "Hey Michael I know you're having a nice dream, and I'm most definitely not your 'sweetie', but I do need your help right now. So if you wouldn't mind, WAKE UP!"

That got him up. Michael jerked out of the bed so hard, that he rolled right over and off the side with a loud_thud_of impact. He attempted to get up, but almost immediately realized that something was wrong and proceeded to examine his new earth pony form. After a few seconds of confused shock he looked right at me and said, "Harry, if this is another one of your failed potion experiments give me the antidote, now."

That stung a little. A while back I'd persuaded Michael to try a recent potion I'd been experimenting with. It was meant to increase all of a person's senses at the same time as opposed to the individual potions that did just one sense at a time. The effects were, hallucinogenic.

"Sorry Michael, no potion this time. We are very much alive, and you have not gone crazy. Twilight, would you tell Michael everything you told me. Then both of you meet me in the main room so we can properly get a handle on what's going on." My stomach growled loudly, "Uh, Twilight do you have any food?"

"Out the room and first door on the right," Twilight replied, walking into the room to face Michael.

"Thanks, I'll put a plate on the main table for when you guys are done." I turned and left, Michael still staring at me as though I was speaking gibberish.

I found the kitchen right where Twilight said it'd be. I searched around and finally found the cupboard that stored the food, and was faced with my vegan nightmare. The cupboard was filled with oats, beans, apples, celery, and practically any other vegetable or fruit you'd care to mention.

_I suppose a hamburger is too much to ask,_ I thought to myself while wondering if my new teeth would even be capable of such a task. _Considering that ponies are herbivores there's probably not going to be a butcher shop nearby._

Despite my carnivore brain retching at the lack of meat, my stomach still rumbled and my mouth still watered at the sight of the vegetarian selection. So operating on the assumption that my stomach new more about this situation than my brain did, I grabbed a nearby platter with my teeth and carefully scooped a pile of apples onto it with a foreleg.

I took the platter into the main room and calmly waited for Twilight to finish explaining the basics to Michael. It only took a few minutes, Michael always was better at dealing with bizarre situations than I was. Soon enough the two came from Michael's room and made their way to the table. Michael had evidently already his equine epiphany on how to use his new legs as well.

The three of us had a small meal together from the apples I'd piled up. Twilight levitated her food to her mouth in an odd purple nimbus I'd never seen, while Michael and I opted to separate a small pile for ourselves then dig our faces in them. We're obviously a bit short on proper pony table manners, but Twilight didn't seem to mind. In fact after a minute or two she giggled at our etiquette and dunked her face into her own small pile.

After a minute or two, Twilight disentangled herself from her pile of apples to finally get down to business. "Now that we have a second, could I ask you what that is supposed to mean?" Twilight asked pointing a hoof at me.

I followed her hoof and saw that she was pointing to the silver pentacle on my flank. "What in the… What's that doing there? I never had a tattoo."

"You don't know what it means?" Twilight asked confusion in her voice.

"No I know what it stands for, I'm just asking what it is doing on my as-flank," I said, trying to remain as polite as possible.

"That's your cutie mark. It's a symbol of what makes you special. So what does it mean? I've only ever seen that particular symbol in books on ancient magic, but it's never really explained in them," Twilight asked, clearly eager for more knowledge on a subject she didn't fully understand.

"It's called a pentacle. It's the symbol of how magic should be used. The five points on the star represent the five base elements of magic: air, earth, water, fire, and spirit. The circle represents mortal will. So it symbolizes magic contained within mortal willpower, or power balanced with restraint," I explained while Twilight drank in every word I said.

"Amazing, what about you Michael? What's your symbol supposed to mean? I don't think I've ever seen it before," Twilight asked Michael.

Michael, who had turned to examine his own golden cross of a mark, returned his attention to Twilight with a look of immense pride on his face. "This is a cross, the symbol of my faith. It's a reminder for why I fight. That all things will be as they should be, and that good will always prevail in the end, even if it might not seem so."

From there Twilight gave us a brief explanation on this magical land of ponies she dubbed Equestria, and its rulers Princesses Celestia and Luna. I found the information that these rulers had the power necessary to move the sun and moon across the sky to be particularly disturbing. If they had the power to move heavenly bodies, then I didn't want to know what would happen if they got mad. In return Michael and I explained to Twilight who and what we were and how we came to Equestria.

"So you two are what was it, humans?" Twilight asked disbelief etched all over her face.

"Yep," Michael and I said in unison.

"You're some kind of wizard guardian and you're a holy knight?" she asked directing her attention to me and then to Michael.

"A bit oversimplified, but yes," Michael answered.

"And you got here by chasing after three monsters and ripping open a hole in the fabric of reality?"

"Now that's an extreme oversimplification, but fundamentally yes," I responded. Twilight clearly didn't take our words at face value, but neither did she immediately dismiss us.

"Hmmm, I think I have I book on the theory of a multiverse somewhere around here. Hang on I'll be right back." Twilight got up from her seat an made for the stairs up to her room.

I didn't try to stop her, explaining the technical workings behind the Nevernever is akin to trying to explain quantum physics to a preschooler. There's always an exception to every rule in a set of rules that's constantly changing. Besides now that I was feed and the main source of questions was leaving to go do her own research, I could focus on prepping my magic to go back home.

As I sat on my haunches with a full belly and a contented smile, my eyes seemed to move on their own to track Twilight as she went up the stairs. Some as of yet silent part of my new pony brain went, _Dang, nice flank_. My tail started twitching excitedly.

When the rest of my brain caught up with what I had just thought, I made an immediate mental backpedal. _No, bad Harry, she's a pony, you're a human. Think it through._

_But you're not a human, not right now anyway_, said that annoying little voice again.

_Hell bells, just no! Ugh, I actually miss my apartment now. Its constant cold showers made sure that this was never a problem,_ I argued with myself. Michael just looked at me with a disapproving glare, as though he knew what had just gone through my head.

"What?" I said in an innocent tone that probably would've worked better if my tail wasn't still twitching.

"Just focus on getting us home," he said in a mildly authoritative tone.

So I shut my mouth and set out to re-familiarize myself with my magic, while my tail slowly calmed down. I felt the familiar current of magical energy in the air around me and drew in my will for a practice spell. I focused on a nearby candle stick and envisioned it popping alight. I formed the spell as I had done countless times in my apartment and whispered, "_Flickum bicus_". Nothing whatsoever happened.

I felt the magic, I formed the spell in my head, but I couldn't release it into the environment. "Oh, come on…_ventas servitas, fuego, infriga,_ come on!" I practically yelled.

Being in a strange environment without the use of magic is every wizard's worst nightmare. Granted my current environment was downright pleasant, but being unable to defend myself magically was still very distressing. So to prevent a stress migraine I tossed around for a topic of conversation with Michael.

"Say Michael, Twilight seems to have a full range of emotions doesn't she? I mean compared to humans anyway."

"Yes, what of it?"

"Well if the other ponies of this land have similar complex emotions… _Fuego_, rrrrrgh. If emotions translate to a soul, do you think these ponies have souls comparable to humans?"

"My preacher in school never really considered whether or not animals have souls like us. But if all of the ponies here have emotions and complex opinions comparable to Twilight, then I don't see why they wouldn't," Michael said with a contemplative look.

"_Ventas_, still nothing. Well if they have souls like us, I wonder if I could soulgaze them."

"I wouldn't recommend that. I doubt any of these ponies would want to look upon your soul."

"I don't _want_to do a soulgaze, I'm just thinking out loud. It helps me focus. Fuego, oh COME ON!" I yelled in frustration.

"You have to use your horn, and what's a soulgaze?" Twilight asked from the staircase.

I nearly jumped out of my new dark grey fur. "My horn? You mean use it as a focus? I hadn't thought of that," I replied while reforming the candle light spell. This time I focused the spell through the horn on my head like I would my staff. I released the familiar spell through my horn and whispered the words, "_Flickum bicus_". The candle exploded in a flash of light and a spray of wax.

"Hells bells!" I cried as all three of us fell back in alarm. "That's a bit more bang than I expected. I formed that spell the same way I've always done. So why was it so… Wait a minute." I extended my wizard senses into the environment and confirmed what I had suspected, "Good lord, this place is packed with magical energy! Much more so than back home anyway, no wonder that candle exploded."

"What in Equestria was that?" Twilight exclaimed looking at the smoldering remains of her candle.

"A simple fire spell with way too much juice. Usually whenever I do a spell I reach to the magic around me as a source of fuel, but the environment here is much more charged than what I'm used to. Say Twilight, I noticed earlier that you have some magic, do you practice it often?" I asked.

"Well of course I have magic. I'm a unicorn, all unicorns have magic," Twilight said in a matter of fact voice, as though this should've been common knowledge for me.

"All, how many is all? How many unicorns are there?" I asked.

"Roughly a third of the population of Equestria."

"A third of the population!" My brain started gibbering at the possibilities. "Well no wonder there's so much magic here," I muttered to myself. On Earth we're lucky to get one out of every couple hundred thousand people to develop magical talent, and only a fraction of those grow to White Council strength.

"You still haven't answered my question, what's a soulgaze?" Twilight asked, her voice now equal parts curious and frustrated.

_I really don't want to get into this, but suppose I do owe her an explanation at least._

"Alright hang on." I repositioned myself more comfortably on my cushion. "A soulgaze is what happens when a wizard like me looks into the eyes of another person or creature that has a soul that's at least similar to mine. Both parties involved get a look at the core of the other person's identity. This is usually done in visual metaphor. Now when I say that, I don't mean you see their history, I mean you see who they are fundamentally as a person, uh pony." I noticed the look of growing excitement on her face. "And before you ask, no I will not soulgaze you. It's not the kind of thing you do on a whim. Besides everyone who's looked at my soul usually left looking like they saw their favorite pet die," I explained to Twilight.

"And we need to be getting back home Harry," Michael cut in, apparently not wanting to see this particular conversation go on.

"I still think you two are some crazy ponies, but if you know your way home go ahead. Please try not to set anything on fire on your way out," Twilight added looking intently at me. Considering that she'd only just meet me and she already knew that me and nice flammable buildings don't mix well, probably said something about how I like to use my magic.

"Oh come on, I don't always start fires. Sometimes I'll knock the wrong support down with a force spell and the building will just collapse, completely fire free," I said with a smile. She was not amused. I get no respect. "Come on Michael, I'll open a Way just outside." Then all three of us walked out into the sunny day. Twilight was presumably coming along to see if there was any truth to the Nevernever.

I didn't realize that Twilight's house was actually inside of a massive tree until I got outside and saw the green leaves for myself. _Damn impressive_, I thought to myself. We walked around to a relatively flat spot on the outside of Twilight's tree-house, where I prepped my spell to go home.

I faced Twilight and put on a friendly smile. "Well it's been fun Twilight, I expect whatever magic changed Michael and I will wear off when we leave this place. Thanks for looking out for us."

"Thank you for your hospitality Ms. Sparkle," Michael added, ever the proper gentleman.

With our goodbyes said I turned to the tree and whispered, "_Aparturum_", nothing happened. "What the… I did that right, hang on." I reworked the spell, pouring more energy into it this time. There was plenty in the surrounding environment after all. My horn flashed with red energy and I roared "_APARTURUM_!" This time I got something. The surface of the tree shifted and resembled something like a wall of pure blackness, and then almost immediately it went back to plain wooden bark. The visuals didn't disturb me so much as the feeling did when I cast the spell. When I released it I felt the usual veil that separates the Nevernever from us tear, but there was something else. Some massive power behind the veil was keeping it from opening completely. This power had a slimy greasy aura around it, an aura I've only ever felt come from one source, Red Court magic.

"What was that? What was that blackness?" Twilight asked, clearly frightened.

I ignored her for now. "Michael, something's wrong. I can't open a Way, we can't go home!"

"What's preventing you?" Michael responded in a clear voice that calmed my jangled nerves.

"There's something on the other side preventing me, I've felt something like it before. I'm pretty sure this is Red Court magic. Why would they isolate this one spot? That doesn't make sense." My heart skipped a few beats as I ran down the logic chain. "Unless it's not just here, they must've isolated all of Equestria. But to isolate an entire land, the power needed… But that's not all…" A cold feeling ran through my heart and into my stomach. "Michael, to maintain this kind of spell they'd have to be here, in this magic-saturated environment."

A horrified look came over Michael when he realized what I was saying.

"The Red Court is in Equestria Michael, and we chased them here!" I finished mirroring Michael's expression.

Michael turned to face the nearby town, "Lord preserve us."


	4. Chapter 4

**Tales of a Wizard: Flesh Masks Ch. 4**

"We need to warn someone. The royal guard maybe? No, higher up than that. Celestia and Luna? Yes, yes that'd work. If we can get them on board then maybe we can break through whatever magic is blanketing Equestria from the other side of the veil. Then maybe we can go home," I said while I paced around the inside of Twilight's library.

"No Harry, the Red Court is here because of us. These people, uh ponies have no knowledge on how to defend themselves from those monsters. The Red Court has only just gotten here, so they probably aren't set up and entrenched in this land like they are in our world. If we simply leave, then we're taking away the only precious knowledge these ponies might have to use against the vampires." Michael stomped a hoof into the floor. "I will not simply abandon them, not when I can still help clean up this mess," Michael said with a hardened look on his face.

The reasons I like Michael have nothing to do with swords and smiting. At the end of the day, he's good people. I mentally berated myself for overlooking that fact. "You're right, sorry Michael. But we still need to contact the princesses either way."

"What are you two talking about? What is the Red Court? What vampires? What was that weird blackness? What's going on?" Twilight asked beginning to panic.

"Twilight, please calm down. We're in no immediate danger. I doubt they know our exact location," Michael said in a fatherly tone that did wonders in calming down the spooked mare. "Now, is there some way we can contact Celestia and Luna?"

I decided that it'd be in bad taste to point out that if they knew where we were, we'd most likely be dead right now. _With our throats slit open like…_ I shook my head to try and dispel that mental image. _No, don't think about that right now. You won't be helping anyone._

"Well of course I can contact Celestia. I am her protégé after all. I can send her a letter right away," Twilight said, her voice returning to its usual tone.

_So we fall into a strange new world and just happen to land next to the protégé if its leader? I'm not usually this lucky._

"On one condition," Twilight added after a second of consideration.

_And there it is._

"For all I know you two could just be some crazy ponies, but some of what you said makes some sense. So, I'll only send a letter to Celestia if you try to soulgaze me."

"No way!" Michael and I said at the exact same time and in the exact same tone of voice.

Twilight waved a hoof in the air to quiet us. "Just hear me out. If it works then most if not all of what you said is true, and I'll wholeheartedly back your story with the princesses. If it doesn't work then you're either crazy, or we're too different for it to work. Either way I'll still send that letter and maybe they can make sense of what you're saying."

It's sort of hard to argue with that logic, especially when she's holding the only known means of contact to the princesses. Oh, the benefits of holding all the cards.

Michael looked over at me, "I don't like this Harry."

"Neither do I, but she's not giving us much choice." I directed my attention from Michael to Twilight, "I highly recommend that you don't do this, Twilight. I don't know what you'll see in there, but it won't be pretty, if it even works at all."

"I understand, but that's my price," she said with a cold finality in her voice.

"No, you don't understand." I recognized the concrete stubbornness behind her eyes, and let out a short sigh. "But nothing I say will make any difference. Fine, but I did warn you. Just look into my eyes."

Twilight and I locked eyes, and for several seconds just stood there. Nothing was happening.

"I'm sorry Twilight, I guess it didn't work." I turned to see if I could find any parchment for the letter, and then had to pause to gape at the room front of me.

Twilight's library had grown to immense proportions. Shelves of books ten feet tall sprung from the ground and stretched back as far as the eye could see. The books themselves were meticulously ordered by subject and then alphabetized. Spaced between the shelves were what looked like mini-lounges, small groups of chairs and tables clearly meant to be used for a relaxing reading. In stark contrast to the ordered shelves these areas were littered with mismatched books that grew in terms of damage the further they got from the chairs. The books nearest the chairs were more or less stacked nicely while those further away were left neglected, upturned, and strewn haphazardly on the floor. Some of the books were even torn slightly in her haste to find some answer.

It was clear that this mare loved to learn, teach, and in general further the pursuit of knowledge. I doubt she'd ever be satisfied with whatever trove of knowledge she'd collect. She preferred to lead an organized life and would always be good at organizing whatever chaos was around her. But to contrast that, it's apparent that she tends to get bogged down when presented with a problem she can't figure out. She'd begin neglect whatever she values as she focuses more and more intently on the problem, until either an answer is found, or she's forced away from the search.

I turned back towards Twilight, and found the true centerpiece of her soul.

Twilight was still standing where she was when the soulgaze had begun, but looked slightly different. Her legs were set further apart and she was crouched low. Her narrowed eyes were searching the surrounding library for threats, ready to defend the altar of busts that had appeared behind her. The altar that had materialized was comprised of six pristine marble busts of other ponies. Five were other mares around Twilight's age in a straight line, while the sixth was standing behind and slightly above them. The larger bust, Celestia I presumed, stood tall with a fine layer of dust and a few small cracks. Around the base of Celestia's bust was a pile of notes, homework, essays, and general research. They were arranged in such a way that they could only an offering to the figure. The other five seemed to be even more valued than that of her teacher. Each and everyone was polished to a mirror shine and given their own unique tributes. The different busts were given apples, cupcakes, rolls of cloth, one was given a soft pillow in the shape of a heart, and the last was given what looked like a set of goggles and a dark blue uniform.

Twilight cared deeply for her five dearest friends, and would do almost anything to protect them or make them happy. The only thing that could compare to her desire to make her friends happy and safe was her desire to impress her teacher. Judging by the weathered stone of Celestia's bust, Twilight had been working to impress Celestia most of her life. Twilight would hear and obey Celestia's given word as though it were a fundamental law of nature.

And just like that, the soulgaze ended. I was standing back in Twilight's normal sized library, slightly phased by the sudden end of the soulgaze. Predictably, Twilight was now shaking all over and had nearly collapsed on the floor. She was staring at me with an odd expression on her face. Her ears were flat against her head and she was breathing at a panicked speed, but her eyes said something different. They were wide with wonder like a kid at a circus, and saddened somehow. The corners of her eyes pinched slightly and something in them sparkled like she was about to tear up.

"Are you ok?" I asked, feeling terrible for putting her through whatever it was she saw.

"I-I believe you. I believe everything you said," she stammered trying to regain some control over her limbs.

I moved over to help steady her, and to my surprise she didn't flinch away. Now that was definitely an oddity. Every vanilla mortal that'd seen my soul had been terrified into near hysterics, but here was Twilight seemingly able to pull herself together after only a few moments. So either the quality of my soul had improved lately, which I highly doubt, or this mare was made of tougher stuff than most vanilla mortals.

"I got it, I can stand on my own thanks," she said as she got back to her hooves.

I backed away to my original position. "Now Twilight, I don't want to add to the stress you're currently under, but we really need to contact the princesses. The monsters we were chasing are most likely still in Equestria and we need to let Celestia and Luna know as soon as possible," I pleaded.

"Yes, yes of course." Twilight nodded her head, only slightly paying attention to me. "I'll be right back I need to go grab Spike so we can send that letter. I left him at my friend Rarity's while you two were here."

"What, why?" I asked.

"Well with you in my bed, Michael in the guest bed, and me on the couch, it was getting a little crowded."

"He means why do you need this Spike, for a letter?" Michael interjected.

"Oh, right. Spike is my assistant. He's the one that actually sends the letters. Now I'll just be gone for a bit, you two just stay here while I go get him." She turned and walked towards the exit.

A sudden brainwave hit me. "Twilight, wait! When you found us did we have anything on or around us?" I had completely forgotten about our personal items after having woken up here. I'd been forcibly turned into a unicorn, give me a break.

Michael face-hoofed behind me, evidently he'd forgotten as well. "Yes, did you see a sword anywhere near us?" he asked, a slight panicked edge to his voice.

"I don't know about a sword, but there was some kind of bladed staff next to you. I put all of your things in that chest over there." She pointed at a chest against the far wall. "I'll be back soon." She turned and left us in her library, her nice flammable library.

_Just no more fire spells and you should be fine,_ I told myself as Michael and I walked over to the chest she pointed out.

As we inspected the chest's contents we indeed saw all of our belongings. At the top of the pile lay the various wizarding tools and trinkets I'd accumulated over the years, my staff, blasting rod, force rings, shield bracelet, tracking crystal with a bit of dried blood on it, and my mother's silver pentacle amulet. I managed to get the amulet around my neck by the simple expedient of working my horn under the chain, but everything else was designed to be used with human hands and as such would be useless to me. So we simply dumped them on the floor.

Under my equipment and wrapped up in our old clothes, was what Michael was looking for. We got it out of the chest, set it on the table in the library, and proceeded to carefully remove the clothing wrapped around it. When we'd accomplished that we both stared at what was once _Amoracchius_. What was before us now could best be described as a battle staff. The hilt was in the middle of the weapon, slightly flattened and just long enough to accommodate for Michael's new muzzle and teeth. Long double sided blades came out of either side of the hilt. Each blade was almost three feet in length and was emblazoned at the center with the same cross that was on Michael's flank.

Why exactly _Amoracchius _had changed to better suit Michael when none of my things had changed for me, I only had suspicions. Could it be that Michael's 'boss' decided to take a more direct role in the current events and give him a helping hand? I didn't like the sound of that, because how screwed up do things have to be in order to get His direct attention. It's more likely that _Amoracchius _is bound to Michael in some fundamental way. It'd certainly go a long way to explaining how Michael wielded such a powerful magical artifact with relative ease, and then when Michael changed so did it.

"I imagine that's going to take some getting used to," I directed at Michael, who had already taken up the weapon to see how it would feel.

After a few practice swings he set it back down. "Yes, this'll take a bit of retraining. I'm going to go out back and practice a few basic stances and moves."

"I'll come with, maybe I can figure out that levitation thing Twilight did." I grabbed my staff in my teeth and dragged it on the ground as we made our way towards the same spot outside where I'd tried to open a Way.

Michael set up in the middle of the field and began running through his self-taught sword styles and moves, making alterations as necessary to accommodate for his new body and weapon. I sat next to the library and concentrated on my staff.

_Twilight didn't have to say anything, so maybe if I just concentrate..._ I focused all of my attention on my staff, picturing it in my head until the mental image was nearly as real to me as the thing itself. I then willed a trickle of magic into the image. To my surprise the staff became surrounded by a dark red nimbus of energy, a glance upward showed a similar energy around my horn. Excited at my progress, I imagined the mental image rising off the ground and watched as its physical counterpart matched it exactly. "Hah! Hey Michael check this out!"

Michael thrust his weapon into the ground as a convenient holding spot. "Very nice Harry, but couldn't you do that before?"

I shook my head. "Nah, before I would just call up gusts of wind or force to make things shoot where I wanted them. I've never had this much direct control over something, must be an inherent unicorn thing." I sent the staff into doing some spinning acrobatics.

"That's nice Harry, but would you be careful please."

"Oh please, I know what I'm doing. I have complete contro-"

SMACK!

I stared up at the clear blue sky as stars danced around my head. The only thought going through my head was, _Man this grass is cozy._

Michael's face appeared over me with that 'I told you so' look he had mastered since meeting me. "Oh, shut up," I grumbled.

He just grinned and helped me back onto all four hooves.

I turned and headed for the library entrance, "I'm going back inside to wait for Twilight. Maybe she has an ice pack or something."

Michael chuckled under his breath before going to grab _Amoracchius_. "I suppose I'll come in too. Someone has to make sure you don't accidentally kill yourself." With a scowl on my face we turned back and went into the library. Much to my dismay, I couldn't find an ice pack. So the angry lump on the back of my head was just going to have to deal with it.

Twilight came back within a couple minutes or so of us reentering the library. Michael was crouched in a chair reading up on Equestrian culture, while I was sprawled on the couch lazily floating several books above my head looking at each in turn to see if anything caught my interest. I turned to look at the door when she entered, being careful to set the books back down on the table.

"Hey guys we're back," Twilight said as she and a small purple and green lizard came inside. "Guys this is Spike." She motioned towards the creature. "Spike, this is Harry Dresden and Michael Carpenter." She motioned back at us.

Spike, a dragon I guessed by his shape, was standing slightly behind Twilight and poking his head around her side to get a look at us.

"He looks a little young to be an assistant," my mouth said without permission.

"Hey, I keep this place running like clockwork thank you very much!" Spike retorted while he puffed out his chest.

"He is a baby dragon yes, but he is more than capable of helping me in my studies. He's been my number one assistant ever since the day he hatched," Twilight said looking affectionately at the little dragon, who swelled with pride at the complement.

Well that explained a few things. This dragon probably saw Twilight as a kind of surrogate mother. The way he was still standing slightly behind her and drank in her complements were testaments to that. If anything proved to be a serious threat to Twilight, I doubted that Spike would stand idly by.

Now that it was clear that we weren't trying to threaten anyone, Spike came out from behind Twilight and began a closer inspection of us. His suspicious eyes looked us over, trying to gauge our intentions. "So, Twilight said that you two were something called, humans right? It's just that you look a lot like ponies."

"Yeah, it's a long story. Look can we get to the letter please?" I directed back at Twilight.

"Of course. Spike, take a note please," she told her helper, who immediately picked up a piece of parchment and quill.

Twilight narrated a long letter for Spike to copy down for Celestia. She explained who Michael and I were, how we got here, and of the danger we believed to be in her land. After she was finished Spike opened a nearby window, took a deep breath, and with a burst of green flame sent the letter off to Celestia.

"It shouldn't take long for her to respond, she usually writes back fairly quickly whenever something is wrong," Twilight directed at us.

"Is that how all mail works here?" asked Michael who till now, had been engrossed in his book.

"Not all mail no. We have our own mail system and a specific mailmare here in Ponyville. Although how she manages hold onto her job, I'll never know. Spike can send letters directly to Celestia because of an enchantment Celestia placed on him when I got him. She can also send letters right back through him as well."

Immediately after she said that, Spike let out an almighty belch with another burst of emerald flames, and a scrolled up letter materialized in the air. Twilight seized it with her magic, opened it, and began to read it aloud.

_My most faithful student Twilight Sparkle and Mr. Harry Dresden_

_I was afraid something like this had happened. A few days ago I thought I felt the veil around Equestria tear but chose to dismiss it. I imagine that's when Mr. Dresden came to our world. Since then I've received reports of disappearances around some of the larger nearby settlements. I am currently investigating one such incident in Manehattan. I will be another day here at least. When I get back to Canterlot I will send a chariot to pick up Mr. Dresden, you, and any of the other Bearers of the Elements that wish to come. I will answer all of your questions then. In the meantime, Twilight would you get Mr. Dresden acquainted with the other Bearers and give him a basic knowledge of our world. I feel we may need his help before this is over._

_Princess Celestia_

"She knew! She knew about the Nevernever but never told me about it!" Twilight exclaimed, eyes widening with shock. No doubt wondering how the teacher she idolized so much could keep such a massive secret from her.

"She probably didn't want you, or any pony for that matter, to go meddling around in there. The Nevernever is an extremely dangerous place Ms. Sparkle," Michael offered, trying to minimize the damage this realization would inflict.

"Yeah, I suppose," she answered back. She still looked severely crestfallen with her ears drooped and her eyes downcast.

"What are these _Bearers of the Elements_ mentioned in the letter?" I asked.

That seemed to perk her up a bit. "Oh, that's me and my friends. We… Well it'll be better to explain it as a group." She moved to exit the library and motioned with a hoof for us to follow her. "I'll go and round up my friends and we'll make with the introductions. I'll bring them all to Sugarcube Corner." She pointed in the general direction of the town. "It's the bakery that looks like a giant cupcake you can't miss it. Give me about an hour to round up my friends and explain some of what's going on. Until then, why don't you wander around town a bit, you know familiarize yourself."

"Sounds like a plan," I responded.

Twilight smiled at us, "Alright, I'll see you two in an hour." She turned and galloped away in the direction she had been pointing.

"I think I'll take in the sights of the town. Maybe they have a blacksmith I can barter with. Would you like to come along?" Michael offered.

"Nah, I think I'll just wander around here for a bit. See you later."

"Alright goodbye then, and do try to stay out of trouble," he said as he turned and walked calmly towards the town.

"Why does everyone just assume that I'm going to get into some kind of trouble?" I grumbled to myself.

A small voice from right behind me spoke up, "You could always learn the area around Ponyville while your friend pokes around in the actual town." I turned around to find Spike standing there, still looking at me with suspicious eyes but was comfortable enough to at least approach me.

"Yea, I think I might do that. Never hurts to know the lay of the land, thanks." I flashed the tiny dragon a quick smile before I trotted off to look over the surrounding fields.

Spike kept a wary eye on Dresden as he left for the surrounding fields. "I think I'll need to keep an eye on that one," Spike mumbled to himself.

I spent the next thirty minutes or so learning the ins and outs around Ponyville. I paid special attention to the positions of several valuable dips, pitfalls, and the roads in and out of town. It was on one of these roads that I came across an odd site. A minotaur, or so I believe they are called, was walking down the road towards Ponyville. None of the other ponies seemed to be running from him or anything so he probably wasn't an immediate threat, but almost everypony was giving him a wide birth, not wanting to come within a few feet of him.

When he was almost in the town proper he came across a mint-green unicorn mare with what looked like a harp or a lyre for a cutie mark. The unicorn had fallen in the middle of the street and the groceries she was carrying were everywhere. She was busily trying to round them up when the minotaur walked up to her. They said a few words to each other that I was too far away to hear, but then the minotaur roared something about "block" and "rock", and shoved the unicorn from his path. The mare was shoved hard enough that she rolled several feet from the path and landed face first into a mud puddle, crushing several of her groceries in the process.

My chivalric or depending on your viewpoint, misogynistic nature instantly flared up and demanded his immediate punishment. No one hurts a lady in front of me and gets away with it. "Alright tough guy, let's see what you've got," I whispered to myself as I made my way over to the minotaur.


	5. Chapter 5

**Tales of a Wizard: Flesh Masks Ch. 5**

"Now I know how this sounds, but I swear it's all true," Twilight tried to explain to her friends, as they sat at one of Sugarcube Corner's dining tables. Twilight's friends were simply gaping at her as though she'd started spouting nonsense and random profanities to the assembled group.

"Darling, are you feeling ok?" Rarity asked looking back at Twilight.

"Yes, I am fine! I am telling the truth and I am not insane!" Twilight shouted back, a sense of frustration growing in her at her friends not taking her seriously.

Twilight's friends began shooting each other nervous glances. The memory of when Twilight had enchanted her Smarty Pants doll and caused a small riot was still fresh in their minds.

"I believe that you think you're telling the truth. But sugarcube, you're saying things that just don't make sense," Applejack replied.

"Yeah, like you expect us to believe that some weirdo aliens dropped out of the sky then turned into ponies?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Hence my 'I know how this sounds' comment, but I swear it's true! You don't have to take my word for it, look at this letter from the Princess." Twilight took out the response from Celestia and laid it on the table for the group to see.

"What's this about a veil?" Applejack asked.

Twilight tilted her head and looked at the letter quizzically. "I think that's how they got here in the first place. I wanted to ask Dresden about it but never really got the chance to, but Celestia seems to know about it. That's more than enough proof for me."

"I hadn't heard anything about disappearances. Is something bad going down?" Rainbow asked Twilight.

"I don't know exactly, but Dresden and Michael say it's probably because of some kind of monsters they were chasing called Red Court vampires."

Applejack rubbed a hoof under her chin, "Can't say I ever heard of 'em."

"She-she doesn't mention anything about, well, what they are," whispered Flutteshy, who till now was content to sit in her seat and just listen to her friends.

"They said they were something called human. I have no idea what they're supposed to look like. When AJ and I found them they just looked like any other ponies."

"I don't know about all this alien nonsense, but if Celestia wants us to meet them I think I can give them the benefit of the doubt," Rarity chimed in.

"I suppose I can too. But Twi, are you sure they can be trusted?" Applejack asked.

"Of course they can be trusted you silly filly," rang Pinkie Pie's high pitched voice from somewhere in the nearby kitchen. As soon as Twilight mentioned that there were two new ponies in town Pinkie had abandoned the conversation to rush into the kitchen and begin preparations for her customary 'welcome-to-ponyville-party'.

Twilight thought back to what she saw inside of Dresden's soul and what drove him to fight against the monsters that he claimed were now loose in Equestria. The images and scenes she saw were intense and alien to her way of thinking. So much so that most of it she was still trying to decipher. While the details of the event had escaped her, Twilight knew that the Red Court had taken someone very dear to Dresden away from him. It's from this event, and from the many other horrors he's witnessed, that an ocean of hate and primal rage spawns from. He has the base need, not desire, **need**, to see as many these monsters die in as much pain as possible.

But to counter-balance this, Twilight saw that he has the massive strength of willpower necessary to keep his emotions in check. Twilight saw a massive wall of light holding strong against the ocean of rage and emotions, like a dam holding back a flood. This wall seemed to be made out of everything that Dresden was clinging to make his life just a little brighter, whatever friends and family he had, his mentor, and his brief experiences of joy. From all of these rose an incredibly strong desire to protect others, to protect those that needed his help and to spare them the same life of pain and suffering that he'd been subject to.

Standing atop the wall was Dresden as Twilight had seen him. He stood with his hooves planted firmly in the wall beneath him as he scowled at the darkness beyond the wall's limits. It took a few seconds for Twilight to realize that the darkness seemed to be physically moving, trying to reach out and engulf Dresden. He shouted defiantly and drew from the ocean of rage behind him to launch large bursts of fire at the encroaching shadows to keep them at bay. Twilight couldn't help but feel awed for his fortitude and saddened for what he had to go through to protect those around him. She also knew that if something were to happen and he lost those closest to him, then Dresden would fall and all that would be left would be directionless rage and an all encompassing darkness. He would become something far worse than the monsters he hunted.

"Yes, he can be trusted. He may not tell us everything from the get go but if the creatures he's after are here, then he will not stop until they are all d-dead," Twilight stammered, surprised at her own choice of words. "He wants nothing more than to stop them and protect as many of us as he can. So yes, I trust him."

As if on cue, a familiar voice thundered from outside the bakery. "Get back here and get your ass kicked like a man!"

_Oh Celestia, what now?_

Everypony there, including Fluttershy, went to the window to see what the commotion was. From their vantage point they could see the minotaur, Iron Will running for his life from a familiar dark grey unicorn who was hurling what looked like balls of condensed air at the fleeing minotaur.

Fluttershy let out a small squeak and whispered, "Is that…"

Twilight face-hoofed several times before answering, "Yes, yes that's Dresden. Wait here girls, I'll be right back." Twilight ran out of the shop and nearly crashed straight into Michael. They took a brief second to reorient themselves.

"I'm sorry Ms. Sparkle, but would you help me get Harry under control?" Michael asked.

"Was about to ask you the same thing," Twilight responded. Then without a further word, they both turned and chased after Dresden and the retreating minotaur. Leaving the several confused mares to mutter amongst themselves in the sweet shop.

* * *

I chased after the self proclaimed 'Iron Will' with several bowling ball sized orbs of condensed air floating beside me. With a whispered word and a thought, I shot several of the orbs at the minotaur. They were by no means lethal, but they would still leave a decent impression in whatever they hit. Two of the orbs flew past Iron Will's horns, one clipped his left arm, while the forth hit him square in the back and launched him forward. He staggered at the sudden forward momentum but quickly regained his footing and continued fleeing.

I stopped my pursuit at the edge of town, just before the cobblestone became open fields. I stood and watched as the minotaur ran as fast as he could for the distant hills. On pure instinct, I snorted a puff of air and stomped my hoof into the ground in a 'so there' fashion. Satisfied that I had driven away the source of trouble from the mint-green unicorn mare I turned back around to see if I could help salvage her groceries, only to find Michael and Twilight running up towards me.

"Mr. Dresden, just what do you think you're doing?" Twilight roared at me in such a perfect angry mother voice, that I momentarily forgot I wasn't a six year old caught stealing a cookie.

Right beside her was Michael actively trying to restrain the livid Twilight. "Harry, would you please explain what just happened?"

I merely shrugged at the two of them, "He was being a jerk, and he had it coming. He shoved a pony into a mud puddle and crushed half of her groceries."

Michael, who knew my protective nature well, instantly pieced together the rest of the story. Twilight meanwhile was just getting started. "So you just attack him!" she exclaimed.

"No I did not just _attack_him, not at first anyway. I went up to him and told him to apologize to the lady. Whereupon he turned to me and yelled, and I quote, 'Somepony tries to criticize, Iron Will will penalize!' Then he started trying to hit me, so I responded in kind. It was purely self-defense."

Twilight seemed mollified, but by no means content with my explanation. "You chased him out of town that was not self-defense."

"Well self-defense is the excuse I'm sticking with, besides do you really want someone like that here? I mean how many decent ponies do you know that talk exclusively in the third-person?"

That seemed to put a smile on Twilight's face. "Ok you've got me there, but it was still risky. You could've gotten hurt," she scolded, looking me over to see if I had sustained any injuries.

"Oh don't worry about me, I'm fine. He was just all show. Now if you'll excuse me, the mare he knocked over probably still needs some help," I finished as I trotted past the two.

Michael, who was no longer restraining Twilight, at least looked satisfied with my explanation. Twilight was just standing there, still trying to piece together the events that had just happened. Her eyes were darting around in her head as she made the various logic connections. She never even noticed that I had left.

I made my way back down the path I had run and over to the mint-green unicorn mare. She was still sitting on the side of the road desperately trying to get the copious amounts of mud out of her coat and mane. I took a look at the groceries on the ground and levitated those that weren't crushed or covered in mud into a single bundle. With the groceries floating beside me I trotted over to the mare, who by now had managed to get most of the mud off, and presented the salvaged goods.

"Here, you dropped these," I spoke in as soft a voice as I could manage.

The mare turned to look at me and with a slightly shaky voice said, "Th-thank you. Where'd Iron Will go?"

I smirked at that, "Last I saw, he was running back home with his tail tucked firmly between his legs." My voice softened when I noticed several minor cuts and bruises on her body. "Do you need any need any help?"

She shook her head and got back to her hooves, "No, no I think I can manage. Thank you again. I'm Lyra by the way, Lyra Heartstrings."

I smiled at her and began to turn away, "I'm Harry Dresden. Try to be a little more careful with your groceries from now on."

"Harry Dresden? That doesn't really sound much like a pony name."

I paused and turned back to face Lyra, "Oh, well that's because-"

"Harry!" Twilight's shouted from right behind me, "We really need to get going, right now. Goodbye Lyra," she finished as she pulled me away from the perplexed looking Lyra.

As we walked away Michael began scolding me, "Harry, it would probably be best if the fact that we're not from Equestria didn't become common knowledge."

"Besides, it's time you met my friends," Twilight said as she turned us towards a large building I assumed was Sugarcube Corner.

When we entered the bakery I was assaulted by a wave of raucous laughter. Almost everypony there was laughing themselves silly. A quick look around told me that these were the same ponies that I saw immortalized in Twilight's soul.

One cyan-coated pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail was rolling around on the floor, crying slightly from the intense laughter. "That was awesome! Did, did you see the look on his face? I thought he was going to wet himself."

"Now Rainbow, there's nothin' funny about chasin' somepony outa town," said an orange earth pony who was trying and failing to hide a massive smile.

"Will you all calm down!" shouted Twilight, appalled at her friends' reaction to what I did. Only when they finally stopped laughing or chuckling did Twilight proceed. "Ok, Mr. Dresden and Mr. Carpenter, these are my friends. This is Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy," she said pointing out each in turn. "Wait, where's Pinkie Pie?"

"Here I am!" came an extremely high pitched voice from right behind me. After I was finished with my heart attack I turned to see a bright pink earth pony that was somehow balancing a tray of cupcakes on her head.

"Ohmygosh, so you two are the two new ponies! I get to make two new friends! What do you like to do? What does you cutie mark mean? We need to have a party! Do you like cupcakes? What am I saying everypony likes cupcakes, here have one!" she finished her breathless onslaught of questions by taking one of the cupcakes in her hoof and forced it into my mouth.

As I staggered over to a corner of the bakery gasping for air after being force-feed a cupcake, Twilight walked up to confront Pinkie. "Now Pinkie, we had a talk about this. You don't force-feed anypony. You remember what happened to Bon-Bon after last time?"

"Yeah, sorry about that Dresden," Pinkie said while bouncing on the spot.

"Don't, don't worry about it," I replied, still coughing up bits of cupcake.

Rarity turned to face me and gave me an approving smile. "I must say, thank you for driving away that horrid minotaur, Iron Will. He's caused enough problems around here already. Anypony who can stand up to him is more than welcome in my boutique. Stop by anytime, we will have to get you some decent clothing."

"While I don't really agree with what ya did, that was a might impressive," Applejack added.

I felt a slight tap on my shoulder and a whispered, "Um, thank you." I turned to see Fluttershy crouching on the floor next to me. When I turned my gaze to her she let out a small squeak and tried to hide behind her pink mane.

_Holy mother of God, that is the single cutest thing I have ever seen in my entire life._ It was all I could do to prevent myself from trying to hug and comfort her. But a large part of my brain was still screaming at me to do something. So I offered her a hoof, which she just stared at for a second or two before accepting it and being pulled back to her hooves. That seemed to calm her a bit.

The only pony present that didn't seem happy, or at least content, with that business with Iron Will was the still grumbling Twilight.

"Alright girls, the Princess wanted us to get these two brought up to speed on almost everything we've done here. So let's get started," Twilight directed at her friends.

Michael and I took our seats at the large table the group was sitting at, and they began to fill us in on the various adventures they've had in this quaint little town. They explained everything from how they met, to how they earned their places as the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, to all of the lessons they've learned since they've known each other. It was rather heartwarming really. It was when they had finished recounting story about a swarm of ravenous insects called parasprites, when I had to point out a few problems I saw.

"Hold on, Celestia is supposed to be over a thousand years old right?" I asked.

"Right," answered an energetic Pinkie Pie.

"But she's never seen a parasprite before?"

"Yeah, I was wondering about that too," added Rainbow. All of us looked towards Twilight for an explanation.

Twilight shuffled slightly under the gaze of her friends. "I don't think she leaves her castle that often. I mean the entire time I was training under her she only left Canterlot for the Summer Sun Celebrations or for business trips."

"Ok, well what about that business with getting the dragon to leave? There's a huge dragon threatening to spread smoke everywhere, and instead of sending trained professionals, she sends you and your friends." I thumped a hoof on the table for added emphasis. "No offense," I added quickly.

"Well that was more of a diplomatic mission. If a contingent of guardsponies showed up to get the dragon to leave that could've been seen as a hostile act."

"I suppose," I grumbled. I hadn't even met this Celestia yet, but I was already having doubts about her.

After my short bout of questions, Twilight and her friends returned to regaling us with their tales. From there the stories quickly became jumbled, skipping back and forth between great periods of time as the different story tellers wanted to get their personal adventures told first. It was near the end of all the stories that Twilight finished recounting her tale about Pinkie's 'Pinkie Sense' and how she learned that she shouldn't try to explain every little thing.

"Oh, so Pinkie's precognizant," I stated glancing over at the pink mare.

"She's what!" Twilight said immediately. A manic gleam in her shone in her eye as she detected an explanation for a problem she thought unsolvable. Evidently I'd just thrown that particulat lesson out the window.

"Uh, precognizant, it means she has a natural magical ability to detect the near future."

"But she's an earth pony, she doesn't have any magic." Twilight looked from me to Pinkie, trying to make sense of what I was saying.

"Then how do you explain how cutie marks appear? I mean they are supposed appear on your flank after you have a personal realization about yourself right?" I looked around the table for a confirmation.

"Right, my sister's still pullin' her mane out tryin' to get hers," Applejack chimed in.

"Well if that's the case, then I highly doubt that cutie marks are a genetic trait. It's more likely that it's a form of magic unique to the ponies of this world. But for something like that to work there need to be at least some form of magic in the pony in question to act as a catalyst. So it stands to reason that all ponies have at least some scrap of magic in them, but only unicorns can actually tap into it," I explained to the group at large.

Twilight's eyes were becoming increasingly large as she took in the information and processed it, looking for any fallacies in my logic. "But how does that explain 'Pinkie Sense'?" Twilight asked.

"Well if I had to guess, I'd say that Pinkie has an unusually large amount of talent in seeing into the near future. But without a horn to control her talent, it manifests itself as physical reactions to future events. I imagine it took a while to figure out what all the different little twitches meant?" I directed at Pinkie.

"Yep, it took a few years to figure out some of them, others I just kind of knew what they meant," Pinkie answered, completely unfazed by what I had said.

Twilight was still staring at me, completely taken aback at the sudden and unexpected nugget of information. Then her expression turned to something greedy as she undoubtedly began gathering other questions for me to answer. I really didn't like that look in her eyes.

_Uh oh, she's going to keep me up all night with her questions. Maybe I can beg Applejack to take me in for a night._

Michael had evidently noticed Twilight's face as well and had guessed its meaning because he chose that moment to ask, "If I may interject, does anypony have a spare room I can use for tonight? It's just that with Spike back at the library it's going to be a little crowded and I don't wish to intrude any more than is necessary."

I immediately shot a glare at Michael, who was decidedly avoiding my gaze.

"You can stay with me, I have a spare room you can use," Rarity offered, looking over Michael's brilliantly colored mane and coat.

Michael gave Rarity a polite nod, "Much appreciated Ms. Rarity."

With my only excuse to leave the library gone I glanced back at Twilight, who was still looking at me like a vulture would look at a wounded rabbit.

_Gulp_.

Before Twilight could begin her questions Pinkie suddenly shot out of her seat and shouted, "That's enough story time, now it's party time!" Pinkie threw her forelegs up towards the ceiling and confetti rained down on us all.

She began running around clearing room for a dance floor and setting out food at a pace I didn't think should've been possible. Soon enough there was a disco ball hanging from the ceiling and there was a moderately paced rhythm thumping throughout the bakery.

All the others began moving around, dancing, playing games, and otherwise enjoying themselves. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow had all taken to the dance floor, trying to match the beat of the music around them. When I saw Twilight, I had to try very hard to not burst out laughing. _Wow, she cannot dance_, I thought to myself. My tail began twitching again.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" I said as I gave the traitorous appendage my best death glare.

"Your tail twitches around Twilight a lot too?" came Pinkie's voice from right next to me, making me jump again.

_How does she keep sneaking up on me?_

"Yeah, I can't figure out how to get the thing to… Wait, your tail?" I gaped at Pinkie, hoping she wasn't saying what I thought she was.

"Yeah, my tail twitches whenever something's about to fall down. Don't know why it happens around Twilight more often than most." She gasped coming to some realization, "Do you have 'Pinkie Sense' too?"

"Oh ok, no that's… well never mind about that. Listen it's getting a little late and I'm kind of tired so I think I'll just go and head back to the library," I said, hoping to get to bed before Twilight could corner me.

Almost immediately the pink mare's poofy hair began deflating and fell around her face, and her normally bright pink coat turned several shades darker. "Oh, ok. If you don't want to stay you can go."

Curse my chivalric nature. I just can't stand to see a lady sad. "You know what, never mind. I think I can hang around here for a while."

That cheered her right back to her normal self. "Yay! Ok, so what do you want to do first? I have pin the tail on the pony, there's the dance floor, I've got some board games around here, or you could get something to eat! I have cake, cupcakes, candy, cider, soda, sarsaparilla, and so much more!"

I was only distantly paying attention to what she said and just nodded my head. _Ok, just stay long enough to make Pinkie happy, and then duck out to get to bed before Twilight catches you. Sounds like a plan._

But that plan didn't work out so well. Whenever I hinted that I wanted to leave, Pinkie would appear out of nowhere and guilt me into staying. She was evidently determined to see me stay as long as she could manage. Pinkie's methods for keeping me at the party started out more or less harmless, like pushing me onto the dance floor or challenging me to some random game, which she always won somehow. Then as the party dragged on her methods became more forceful, like hefting a huge meal in front of me and not leaving until I'd eaten most of it, or actually forcing my head into the bobbing for apples bucket and holding me there for several seconds.

It was only after avoiding what seemed like the third murder attempt, did I come to an important revelation about the pink party pony. _Hells bells, I've been in war zones less painful than this mare's party._

The party went on for a few hours until everypony decided that they had had enough and went to their respective homes. Pinkie tried in vain to keep her friends there, but was forced to concede defeat and allowed us to leave. Rainbow and Fluttershy both darted into the air upon leaving Sugarcube Corner's front door. Applejack waved a hoof in farewell and galloped of towards a large collection of apple trees I saw on the distant hills. Michael followed Rarity back to her boutique, and I walked back towards the library with a Twilight that had already begun her onslaught of questions.

She mainly asked me about how I worked magic and what I thought about her different theories she had on various magical applications. This went on until well after midnight. I was curled up in her guest bed with my head under my pillow, trying to drown out the purple unicorn that was discussing her idea of creating miniature point to point portals.

"So to help out the mail service, I had the idea of enchanting the local mailboxes to allow for instantaneous deliveries," Twilight ranted about her latest thought. "I'd have to create a central teleport nexus and then link each individual mailbox to the nexus. I wonder how I'd identify each address though. Harry do you have any-"

"TWILIGHT!" I shouted, cutting her off. "I am tired, I want to sleep. Please go to bed."

"But I have more ideas that I want your take on," she moaned.

This mare was tap-dancing on my last nerve. "Twilight, if you do not let me sleep I will set one of your books on fire." I wouldn't, and she probably knew that too, but it got the point across.

She huffed out a breath of air. "Fine, I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Twilight," I said with an enormous sigh of relief.

"Goodnight, Harry," she responded as she closed the door behind her.

_Finally some peace and quiet, maybe tomorrow we'll actually get somewhere with this Red Court business._

You really should be careful what you wish for.


	6. Chapter 6

**Tales of a Wizard: Flesh Masks Ch. 6**

Typically speaking I don't dream much, and whenever I do they're usually nightmares. Tonight however, was one of those precious exceptions.

I was back in my crummy one bedroom Chicago apartment, and back in my old body. The apartment was a simple living room with an attached kitchenette. My bedroom and small bathroom where separated from the main room by the only actual door within the apartment. My living room was made up of a bunch of secondhand furniture and area rugs I'd bought at random garage sales. I was sitting on my creaky but plush couch watching my fireplace flicker with dancing flames, while my father sat next to me.

Both of my parents are dead. My mother, Margaret Dresden, died giving birth to me. I know very little about her, only that she was a very powerful sorceress and loved to traverse the Nevernever. She evidently became so accomplished at moving around in the Nevernever that she earned the nickname 'le Fay' or 'the faerie'.

My dad on the other hand was a stage magician. Malcolm Dresden didn't have a magical bone in his body, but was very good at sleight of hand. He would always go the extra mile to make me happy, no matter the cost to himself. He was a loving and caring man, or at least that's how I remember him. But that was so long ago, and what precious few memories I have of left of him were fading. No matter how desperately I clung to them. He had an aneurysm when I was six and I got dropped into an orphanage immediately after.

I was adopted by a Justin DuMorne, a man I thought was a godsend, giving me a chance at a normal life. But in reality he was a monster that had wanted to break me, to bend my mind and make me into his little soldier. I had suspicions that my former adoptive parent had somehow facilitated my father's death in order to adopt me, but I never really got any hard evidence to support it. Although I suppose it doesn't really matter anymore, as DuMorne is now solidly six feet under. Being trapped in a house that mysteriously burst into flames will do that.

I just sat next to my dad and savored the simple companionship. He asked me about my life, about how I was and how I felt. He'd offer congratulations at my accomplishments, and condolences at my failures. He made me remember what it was like to have someone I could go to with anything, what it was like to have someone that would always love me, no matter what happened. But above all else, he made me feel safe. For the first time in a long time I felt safe and completely confident in the strength of my father.

When I heard him say the words I had secretly wanted to hear so much, I felt a couple tears slide down my face, "Son, you know I love you and that I'm so very proud of you. Don't ever stop protecting those you care about."

I knew it wasn't real, I knew that it was just my vivid imagination, but I didn't care. To see him again, to hear his voice again, it meant the world to me. I didn't ever want to leave, because if I left then I'd be alone again, he wouldn't be there to help me, to comfort me. I didn't ever want to wake up.

"Harry, Harrrrrryyyyy, it's time to get up," a feminine sing-song voice rang in my ear.

"Mrrrmnglr," I grumbled in response and shifted, turning my back on the source of the noise.

I felt something push at my shoulder. "Oh come on, get up," the voice repeated, no longer in a sing-song tone.

I didn't budge.

"Ughh, you're worse than Spike. Hmmm, I think I know what to do." The voice faded with the last couple of words as it moved away.

_Heh, teach her to try to wake me up. Wait… what'd she just say?_

SMACK!

"Acckkk!" I screamed, sitting up from my slumber and clutching at my now throbbing skull.

It took several seconds of bleary eyed confusion before my addled brain pieced together the events of the previous day. I remembered where I was, who I was talking to, and more importantly what I was.

"Oh good, you're awake. Come on, I made breakfast." Twilight smiled at me, the book _A History of Dragons_levitating in the air next to her.

_Note to self: Burn that freaking book._

I scowled at the purple unicorn before responding in a gravelly voice. "Why do you keep hitting me with that pony feathered book?"

_What the… pony feathered? Where'd that come from?_

Twilight, who didn't seem to notice the strange language I was using, just kept smiling at me. "Because you're stubborn and breakfast is ready." She turned and left the room.

I took a moment to recompose myself, and then followed her to the main area to get ready for the day. When I entered the main room I found three plates, two were laden with some kind of wheat while the third had already been picked clean. Spike's doing I presumed. I noticed that the baby dragon was in a corner of the room picking at his teeth.

"What is this?" I asked as I sat down to my plate.

"That is roasted and seasoned hay. I made it myself. I figured since all you had yesterday where apples and Pinkie Pie's party treats, that you should get some fiber," Twilight answered back with a smile.

I just stared at the plate, unsure what to do. All the food I had yesterday, while not what'd I usually eat, was still identifiable as food to me. This was something only a pony would consider eating. Still I didn't want to offend Twilight, so I started munching on the hay. May God strike me down if it wasn't the most delicious thing I'd ever eaten.

_Hells bells, this is delicious! It's like really long and thin seasoned french-fries. I bet this would go great with some apples, celery, or maybe a veggie burger. I wonder if they have those he-, wait a minute. This place is screwing with my head!_

Changing dietary habits is one thing, but actually changing my thinking patterns is something completely different. Given that I now had a completely different digestive system, it would be expected to have cravings for different kinds of food, but I shouldn't have changed as fast as I was. After only a day I was already thinking like an herbivore, any thoughts of my usual diet of copious amounts of meat made me physically sick to my stomach. That and the slip of the odd pony swear earlier that I had never heard before, meant that something was messing with my head. Whether it was the spell that transformed me, or maybe the intense latent magic of this place, I didn't know.

Twilight ate her own breakfast while I sat there and tried to figure out how much of my thought process has changed since coming to Equestria. "Is something wrong with your hay?" Twilight asked, noticing that I'd stopped eating.

I snapped out of my introspective moment and faced her, "Wha- oh no, nothing's wrong with it. It's great actually, but that's kind of the problem."

She tilted her head quizzically, "How do you mean?"

"I think this place is starting to screw with my head. I mean just earlier without even thinking about it, I said-"

I got cut off by Spike letting out another one of his almighty belches, and a little scroll of parchment materialized in front of us. Twilight caught it with her magic and read it aloud.

_My most faithful student Twilight Sparkle and Mr. Harry Dresden_

_I have returned to Canterlot Castle and will be sending a chariot to pick you up within a few hours. First I must secure something that Dresden needs to see. Bring whoever wishes to come with you to your library and wait there._

_Princess Celestia_

Twilight looked up from the letter confusion all over her face, she'd completely forgotten about what I was just to saying. "Secure something, what do you think she's found?"

I shrugged at her, choosing to leave the matter of my thoughts for another time. "Well if I need to see it, then it's probably something to do with the Red Court. Michael was staying at Rarity's right?"

Twilight nodded at me, "Yes, just let me finish my breakfast and then we'll leave."

Our breakfast lasted several minutes longer than it probably should have, owning to the fact that Twilight was determined to get my input on some of her magical theories. For whatever reason, during the entire discussion Spike didn't take his narrowed eyes from me.

_Does he think I'm going to randomly attack Twilight or something?_

I pushed the paranoid dragon to the back of my mind as we finished up our breakfast and set out for Rarity's. Upon arrival at the boutique Twilight stopped me outside, "Now Harry, I want you behave while you're here. Rarity can be a bit touchy about her appearance, so no snarky comments."

"Me, snarky? Perish the thought," I replied, a devilish grin spreading across my face.

She just sighed as I held the door open for her to go in. The scene we walked in on will be forever etched in my brain. Michael Carpenter, the Fist of God and slayer of many horrible creatures and demons, was standing on a raised platform and wearing a suit similar to a posh Victorian gentleman's outfit. Rarity was darting around Michael, putting pins in various places and making alterations to the suit as she saw fit.

Upon seeing us Michael gave me a pleading look as the fashion mare stuck a few more needles into a rather plush shirt on his chest.

"Uhm, Rarity can I talk to you for a second?" Twilight asked.

"But of course dear," answered Rarity. She set down the leftover needles and fabric onto a nearby table and trotted over to talk with Twilight.

Michael and I made our way over to the opposite side of the room. Michael winced a few times as the needles bit into him.

"O-ok, I've got to ask. What the hell?" I stifled a laugh and gestured at Michael's new outfit.

"When Rarity told me that she's a clothing maker, I asked if she could make me a scabbard for _Amoracchius_. I gave her the description and she made the scabbard, but didn't stop making things for me to try on. First a shirt, then a coat, then another shirt, she just didn't stop!" Michael answered, shuffling uncomfortably in his clothing.

I honestly tried not to laugh in his face, but I couldn't help it, it was just too freaking funny. I collapsed on the ground and started laughing uncontrollably. It took a few seconds, but I calmed down enough to look up and get a look at Michael's posh new boots, which set me off again.

Michael face-hoofed, "Honestly Harry, why do I go to you for support?"

I just kept laughing, it was therapeutic. Whenever you're feeling stressed enough to grind your own teeth down to nubs, there really is no better solution than to go and have a laugh with your friends, or in my case laugh at your friends. With all the business with the war against the Red Court, and now this new development, I really needed a good laugh.

"Ok, all of you I'll be back in a little bit. Bye," Twilight called back as she turned and left the boutique.  
During my spontaneous fit of laughter, I had completely forgotten about Twilight's chat with Rarity. By the time I'd calmed down enough to ask anything, Twilight had already left.

"Great… Rarity, where's Twilight going? Uh, and what're you doing with those needles?" I asked Rarity, who was using a measuring tape to take various measurements of my equine body.

"Twilight's gone to round up the rest of our little group." Rarity answered, while measuring the length of my spine. "As for you Mr. Dresden if you are going to Canterlot as a royal guest, then you must look the part."

"Rarity I don't need any new clothes. I'm fine as is and I- WOAH! Hey put me down!" I cried out as Rarity levitated me into the air and set me down on the same platform Michael was on.

"Nonsense, of course you need some nice clothing. You look positively ragged at the moment. Now do try to stand still, these needles are quite sharp." She levitated various scraps of clothing over to me and began working her craft.

I glanced over at Michael who, true to his nature, was trying to look sympathetic but couldn't seem to hide the grin that had been plastered to his muzzle. I sighed and tried to remain still, lest I incur the wrath of Rarity and her needles.

By the time Twilight had gotten back, Michael had managed to remove his suit and placed it on one of Rarity's mannequins. The suit that Rarity was making for me was taking on its final form as something fairly close to a tuxedo and a dark fedora.

_I've got to give her credit, I do like the fedora. Fedoras are cool._

Twilight walked into the boutique followed closely by the rest of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. "Hiya again Harry, did you have fun at the party last night? Ohhh, snazzy getup," Pinkie said in her same high-pitched voice.

"Yeah, nice fedora," Rainbow added.

"Rarity, would you take that off of him please? This isn't a gala we're going to," Twilight directed at Rarity.

Rarity sighed and began taking her creation off of me, "Very well Twilight, such a shame though."

As soon as Rarity had taken the suit off me and turned her back, I looked over at Twilight and quietly mouthed, "Thank you." She smiled and rolled her eyes. As soon as the group got situated in the room, they all looked expectantly at me as though I was supposed to give a speech.

"Now what exactly has Twilight told you all?" I asked the group at large.

"That something bad is going on and that she needs our help," Rainbow said at once, "and she's going to get it."

I was afraid of that. "I'm going to correct you right there. I do not need your help, and frankly I don't want it. I am expecting a worst-case scenario is developing here and I don't want any of you exposed to it. The things I'm expecting to go up against aren't going to play nice like Nightmare Moon or Chrysalis. But from what Celestia's letter said it's up to you to decide what to do."

Applejack looked calmly from Twilight to me, "Well if Twi wants my help, she's getting it."

"I couldn't possibly let my friends go into danger by themselves. What are you supposed to wear to a dangerous situation though?" Rarity commented, Twilight face-hoofed behind her.

"Yeah, besides we're going to need a Pinkie Pie party to lighten the mood!" Pinkie added.

"I-if my friends a-are going, so am I," whispered Fluttershy.

I wouldn't admit it, but I was a little comforted by their decision and their strength. I just hoped they weren't choosing to follow me into a furnace.

"Are you certain about this?" Michael asked the group. "We may not be able to protect you all."

They responded with a unanimous, "Yes."

"Well, I suppose that's that. Celestia's letter said the chariot will be arriving at Twilight's library, so let's go ahead and head on over there," I instructed.

With that we all gathered up our various belongings and set off for the library. Michael had his new scabbard, Applejack had a long length of rope, Pinkie had a saddlebag full of balloons and confetti, while Fluttershy had a bag with various medical materials, and the rest didn't seem to bring much of anything with them.

During the walk back to the library Michael and I were assaulted with various questions ranging from our favorite party favors, to how we fast we could gallop, to our favorite animals. For whatever reason, the six mares were very curious about all the little facts about their two new friends.

_I suppose these girls take friendship very seriously. Just so long as Pinkie keeps relatively calm, I won't mind. I don't think I could survive another one of her parties._

We arrived at the library soon enough and with the chariot nowhere to be seen, we had some time to spare. So we all settled down in the afternoon sun outside of the Library and double checked our equipment. Michael went inside to fetch _Amoracchius_.

Near the door to the library Twilight was standing and talking with Spike, just a little out of earshot. The latter was looking increasingly distraught as Twilight spoke. After a few moments Twilight finished and Spike embraced her in a tight hug, which she returned. Spike broke apart and rushed into the library, slamming the door behind him as he went.

Twilight made her way over to me and settled down to face me. As she got comfortable I asked, "What was that about?"

"I was just telling Spike that I'd be leaving for a while and that he shouldn't worry about me," she answered. "He'll keep the place nice and will look after your belongings while we're in Canterlot. Harry, I never did get to ask you. Just how exactly did you get here anyway? The Princess wrote something about a veil in her letter." A few of her friends behind her were swiveling their ears to listen in.

"Oh, you mean the Nevernever, well that can get kind of complicated. What would be the simplest way to describe it, hmmmm." I thumped a hoof against my muzzle as I tried to think of a decent answer. "Well you can think of the Nevernever as a realm of pure magic that exists parallel to our own plane of existence. With the right knowledge you could find a spot where the barrier, or veil, between us and the Nevernever is thin enough to rip through. Now one of the important things about the Nevernever is that its geography is not the same as your world's, or mine. What matters more is the emotional feel of the place where you open a Way. Uh, what are two locations here that are relatively far apart?" I asked Twilight.

"Well Baltimare and Las Pegasus are pretty far apart," Twilight commented rubbing a hoof under her chin.

After a short episode of paranoia at the mention of these names, I trudged on with my lecture. "Ok then, say you go to Baltimare and find a sad or depressing place, like a graveyard or something. Then you open a Way into a sad or depressing part of the Nevernever. You walk a couple of feet to a cheerier part of the Nevernever, open another Way and you pop out into a cheery portion of Las Pegasus. Granted the walks are almost never that short, and there's a decent chance of running into some kind of predator, but you get the general idea."

Twilight took in this information and began processing it, imagining the possibilities. "But how did you get from your world to mine? From the way you described it by simply opening a Way you should've been sent back to your own world instead of coming to Equestria."

"I'm actually not sure about that. I mean the Nevernever is theoretically supposed to connect everything to everywhere, but I've never been to a portion of the Nevernever that didn't connect back to my world. This world is remarkably similar to my own, so their distance from each other wouldn't be that far apart. So I suppose I could've simply moved from the portion of the Nevernever nearest to my world into the portion nearest to yours, but that's just a guess. I'll need to ask the princesses about it later to get a better idea."

It was then that I could hear a flapping of wings and the creaking of wooden supports. We all looked up and saw a chariot being pulled by five large armor clad pegasi.

_A golden chariot being pulled by pegasi in golden armor, that's just showing off. Celestia is looking more and more like an egotist. Then again I did spent my last month's salary on a new gold inlay for my summoning circle, so who am I to judge._

The chariot touched down on the grass in front of us. Beside me, Rarity practically squealed with excitement at the chariot's approach. "Oh have you ever traveled in something so breathtaking!" She obviously did not share my opinion about the extreme flashiness of our transport.

The lead pegasus directed his attention at us. "Twilight Sparkle, Mr. Dresden, we are here to transport you and those with you to Canterlot Castle. Will all of this group be traveling you?"

Twilight gave the pegasus leader a curt nod, "Yes sir, we will all be going."

"Very well then, if you are all ready go ahead and board. The princesses need to talk with you all as soon as possible," he finished, directing his attention towards me.

I sighed and got up, stretching a little to ease my tensed muscles. "All aboard the express ride to Canterlot, where there will be much mayhem and conflict awaiting," I called to Twilight and her friends. Who says I can't be theatrical.

We all shuffled onto the chariot, being careful to ensure that our various possessions weren't getting crushed. Michael carefully set _Amoracchius_ down on the floor in front of him. The scabbard Rarity had made only covered about half of the weapon, so there was still about three feet of sharpened steel that Michael had to keep an eye on.

As soon as we all got situated in the chariot, the pegasi team took off and raced towards Canterlot.


	7. Chapter 7

**Tales of a Wizard: Flesh Masks Ch. 7**

The flight to Canterlot was a long one, as the chariot was being weighed down by more passengers than the pegasi team was expecting. I spent most of the trip with my head hanging over the side of the chariot, watching the land beneath us flash by.

I felt a slight nudge on my shoulder and heard a whispered, "Uhm, Mr. Dresden…" I turned around and saw Fluttershy looking nervously at me, but she didn't flinch away from me like she did last time.

Fluttershy seemed to be trying to steel herself for whatever she was about to say. She was planting her hooves on the deck of the chariot and was puffing out her chest. "Mr. Dresden, what exactly do you know about what's going on? All we know is that ponies are starting to disappear and that the princesses want to talk to you about it."

I was impressed by the mare's abruptness, given what I'd seen of her timid nature at Pinkie's party. I tried to give her a comforting smile, but it turned out to be something more like a weary grimace laden with too many bad memories. "I'll spare you the details, at least until we get to the princesses. I imagine they'll want to hear this too, but I'll give you all a brief summary. Did Twilight tell any of you about the creatures called Red Court vampires?" I raised my voice directing my question too all of the mares in the chariot.

Applejack gave me a short nod. "She said they were somethin' that you and Michael where chasing after. That's about it."

I returned the nod. "Yes and I'm sorry to say that I believe we drove them here, or at least a small group of them. It is my belief that these disappearances are the result of the vampires that Michael and I were chasing, settling in here. The Red Court's sole goal is to expand and conquer, to capture, turn, and kill as many as it takes to make them the leading power of whatever environment they're in."

"B-but why?" Fluttershy's eyes had shrunk to the size of pinpoints. "Why would they want to do something so horrible?"

I looked into her face and saw something I hadn't seen in a long while, innocence. It nearly broke my heart to answer her, but maybe if they understood the dangers I was dealing with, then maybe they'd take my advice and leave. One thing was for sure though, in order to understand the danger they would have to lose some of that innocence. They would have to accept the fact that some things are purely and simply evil.

I decided to answer her question with a few of my own. "Why does Twilight want to read and study magic? Why does Rarity want to create clothing? Why does Pinkie like parties? The Red Court does what they do because that is simply their nature. They thrive on the blood of others, and if they get their way they'll turn this whole world into a farm, where we are the cattle."

Twilight and her friends stared at me, unable to process what I had just said. Then as a whole, they turned towards Applejack as though to discuss what I just told them. Applejack looked at her friends and nodded, "He's telling the truth." That more than anything seemed to impact them the most.

_So the Element of Honesty is a walking talking lie detector? That could be extremely useful._

Michael, the ever present pillar of strength, chose this moment to chime in. "Do not lose hope. They've only been here for a few days, their numbers are few. So with some luck, we can prevent them from ever becoming a threat." His voice rang with that same indefinable soothing tone he always used whenever things were starting to look grim.

We drew strength from his words and calm assurances, myself included, as we turned to face the castle we were descending towards.

Canterlot castle is easily one of the grandest structures I have ever seen. The castle towered over everything else around it, making normal houses look like sheds in comparison. All the walls seemed to be made from polished pure white marble and elegant tapestries decorated it in strategic places, never letting a single space be wasted while not letting it become overbearing. What really drew my attention however, was the crowd of ponies running around the entryway to the castle proper.

The chariot landed as near to the castle doors as the crowd would allow. We disembarked and tried to make sense of the confusion around us. Michael and I understood what we were seeing almost immediately, a triage center.

Many guardsponies were on stretchers that were placed in organized rows in front of the castle. Doctors and nurses were moving around them all, identifying the worst cases and treating them as best they could. From what I could see the majority of these injuries were relatively minor, many cuts and slashes, several nasty bruises, maybe a couple of broken bones at worst. There was one stretcher however that many doctors, nurses, and a very large dark blue alicorn were crowded around.

"We cannot replace the blood he's lost. He needs a transfusion, NOW!" the dark alicorn yelled at a passing nurse. The nurse immediately ran off and returned with a small blood pack and the equipment necessary to set up the transfusion.

I approached the group, surprised at seeing what seemed to be modern medical practices being used by the ponies. As I got nearer I got a good look at the center of all the turmoil, a light brown pegasus with a jet black mane and tail, not unlike my own, and a dark shield for a cutie mark was sprawled on the stretcher. If his muscle mass was anything to judge by, he was a pony that probably spent the vast majority of his time training and sparing with his fellow guardsponies. Although whether or not he'll get to keep his carrier, or his life, was still up for debate. His right foreleg and his left wing had both been viciously ripped from his body.

The fact that he hadn't already died from blood loss was a miracle in itself. The area around him was a complete mess of blood and gauze. As I studied the pegasus I noticed that the stumps that had been connected to his missing foreleg and wing were glowing a dark blue, and were slowly closing, preventing anymore blood loss. I looked up to see the alicorn frowning in concentration, her horn aglow as she sealed the pegasus's wounds. I noticed the dark crown on her head and the various pieces of regal decorations that she wore. She finished repairing what she could and stood back to let the doctors and nurses do the rest.

"Now that was some incredibly complicated magic. Princess Luna I assume?" I asked as I approached her.

"You were not aware of who I am? I had assumed news of my return would've been common knowledge by now." She looked at me with a slightly confused expression, "You do not bow?"

"Excuse me?" I retorted.

"Most ponies that approach me cower and bow before me."

My mind immediately shifted gears into a much more confrontational manner. I really don't like bullies, even if they are royalty. "And most creatures that threaten me usually end up burning. What's your point?" I deadpanned. A few of the passing nurses paused to gasp at what I just said.

Luna looked taken aback at that, but then she did something that I was completely unprepared for, she laughed. Her laugh was a deep and pure wave of emotion the literally shook the air around her. She took a few seconds to finish laughing over whatever it was that she found funny, and then returned her attention to me.

"Oh finally, a pony with some backbone. You have no idea how aggravating it can be to have ponies cower wherever you go," she said with a smile on her face. "Tell me, what is your name citizen?"

It took me a second to get my brain back on track after that sudden derailment. "My name is Harry Dresden, Princess," I answered, adopting a much more polite tone and bowed my head slightly.

"Please, Luna is fine. But, that name… Dresden," she muttered, clearly lost in thought. "Oh, so you are the one my dear sister mentioned. But then that means..." She craned her head to look past me at the rest of my group that were just finishing collecting their things. "Ah, there they are." Her face became very serious, "I'm surprised that they all came with you. Did you not warn them of the danger we face?"

I looked back at the group that had begun to make their way over to me, and then back at Luna. "I tried, they wouldn't listen to me. I told them that it'd be dangerous but they just don't understand…" I paused midsentence to look at the makeshift medical center around me, and saw one last opportunity to really hammer my point in. I turned back to Luna, "Hang on, I'll be right back." I turned around and ran off to confront Twilight and her friends. I walked up to the six mares, while Michael went off to offer whatever assistance he could to the medical staff.

Twilight looked at me as I came to a stop. "Harry, what is all of this? What's going on?"

Instead of answering her, I addressed the group as a whole, "I want you all to take a good long look at what's around you." I stepped to one side so that the pegasus with missing limbs was in plain view. Rainbow in particular cringed at the site of him. "This is just a small taste of the pain and suffering that you will be subject to should you remain with me. So I ask you again, please go home. I don't want this for any of you. I don't want you to be exposed to this."

While they were all very shaken by the sights of the pain around them, none of them backed away. In fact Twilight refused to even look away from the ponies on the stretchers. Her eyes became teary but her face adopted a steely resolve. She turned her attention back to me. "With all due respect Mr. Dresden, It's not about what you want. There are ponies being hurt and we can do something about it. I will not simply leave and run home, not when I can do something to help those that need me!"

I looked to the rest of the group, "Does she speak for all of you?"

"You'd better believe it," Applejack said, flicking her hat.

"I'd never leave a pony hanging." Rainbow puffed out her chest, and cast a sidelong look at the injured pegasus.

"Oh please, my friends would fall to pieces without me," Rarity teased.

"I've got just the thing to liven up this place." Pinkie started rummaging through her bag.

Fluttershy squeaked a little, and then managed to pull herself together, "Y-yes, I w-want to help." With that she darted off after Michael to help him tend to the wounded.

I felt an immense sense of approval and pride at the six mares that were willing to fight to protect those that needed their help. I turned back around to Luna, who had walked over to stand next to me. I shrugged at her, "Well, I tried. I guess they're here to stay."

"Very well then. Come on inside, we have much to discuss," Luna said as she turned us towards the castle. We picked up Michael and Fluttershy as we walked past them then made a beeline for the front doors.

I nudged Luna as we walked, "Say Luna, that looked like an extremely complicated healing spell back there. How'd you pull that off?"

She merely shrugged, "Such has always been my talent. I do not possess my sister's raw power, but I more than make up for it in fine control. I've always been talented in areas that require a careful touch and a keen mind, as opposed to raw strength. I am the Goddess of the Moon after all."

"What was all of that out there? How did those ponies get hurt?" Rarity asked.

Luna shook her head wearily. "They are scouts. Celestia and I have been sending scout teams to try and get any information about the disappearances that they can. Some of the teams have been attacked. Others have even gone missing themselves. Whenever a team drops out of contact for too long we send a search and rescue team to bring them back here."

"Okay, so what exactly are we doing here anyway? I mean what's the immediate plan?" I cut in.

"Well normally we'd do introductions and exchange relevant information, but we have something that need your immediate attention," Luna said as she lead us down a side hallway, and down a set of stairs.

"What is it?" Rainbow asked from right above me.

"We've captured one of them," Luna replied.

"You've already got them?" Applejack asked hopefully.

"No, we just have one. Celestia and I were investigating some disappearances around Manehattan, and we managed to follow a lead back to an abandoned warehouse. We found several dead ponies and one of those things, just eating them." She shuddered as she thought back to that image.

Twilight and her friends all gasped at these words, heck so did I. Michael hung his head and muttered a soft prayer.

"We managed to capture the thing," Luna continued with her story. "I've never seen the like of it before. It managed to kill three of Celestia's personal guard before we could subdue it. Here we are," Luna said as we neared a large set of doors.

We pushed through them and entered a large almost perfectly round room. There were several guards spaced around the walls of the room. In the center of the room was something that could only loosely be called a pony, chained to the floor.

The Red Court vampire used to be a pegasus, it lost all of its fur to be replaced by a dark rubbery hide and its normally feathered wings were replaced by leathery bat-like wings. The most drastic changes were to its face and hooves. Each of its hooves were replaced with thick, and razor sharp, black bird of prey talons. Its teeth had become serrated fangs capable of ripping and tearing as easily as chewing. The most unsettling change were its eyes. Each of its eyes were completely black all around. The only reason I could tell where its skin ended and where its eyes began was because its eyes glistened slightly as it looked around the room at all the potential meals.

"It truly is a disturbing sight, isn't it?" a soft voice said from right behind me.

I turned around and was faced with the Goddess of the Sun, Princess Celestia. Any reservations I had about her were instantly whipped away as I looked upon her. She practically radiated power and warmth. Everything around her seemed to be just a bit brighter, as though Celestia herself were emanating sunlight. Under normal circumstances I'd expect her to be the picture of kindness and caring, but the expression she wore on her face as she looked at the captive, was one of fury and revulsion.

"There is no need for that," she said as I bent my forelegs to bow without even realizing it. "You are the wizard Harry Dresden, Twilight wrote to me about correct?"

"Yes, and I assume you are Princess Celestia," I responded.

"Yes there will be time for pleasantries later, but right now I need you to tell me what you can about this… What did Twilight call it in her letter, a Red Court vampire?" She looked quizzically between Twilight and me.

I looked at the vampire in the center of the room and noticed how it had apparently lost all semblance of self-control. It was throwing itself to the end of its chains to try and get at the food just out of its reach. Normal vampires just wouldn't do that, at least not in this situation. They are very much intelligent and love to use deception to trick their opponents. It should've been sitting there whispering lies and casting doubts, but instead it was acting like little more than a savage beast.

"Yea that's what they're called and I can tell you one thing right now. You aren't going to get any useful information out of it. That thing has gone completely feral," I observed.

Celestia looked disappointed at that. "Twilight mentioned that you were pursuing a few of these creatures through the veil. Is this one of the creatures that you were chasing after?" I could tell she was choosing her words carefully, so as to not suggest that I drove them here on purpose. I had the feeling I'd be beating myself up over my part in this later.

I shook my head, "No, the ones I chased weren't feral. They were intelligent enough to flee rather than to fight."

"Then where did this one come from? There weren't any of these things in Equestria before you got here a few days ago. Do these Red Court vampires reproduce that quickly?" she asked me.

This was a discussion I really didn't want to have, but I they needed the information. It would change how they handled the situation and would therefore probably save a few lives. But I couldn't answer her question, not without thinking about…

I put a hoof over my chest as I felt a dull pain resurface. I paused for a few seconds before I began, "They don't reproduce like you'd expect. The Red Court vampires create more vampires by capturing… Well here I guess it'd be ponies. They take the captured ponies back to their den, and then they turn them into Red Court vampires."

Everypony there froze at my words, trying to imagine the horror of what I just said.

I pressed on, wanting to get this over with. "When the captured pony is infected, at first it's still more or less itself, but they have an incredibly strong desire to kill and consume the life-blood of another pony. It's only when they indulge this new craving that they become a Red Court vampire in full."

Twilight behind me decided to finally speak up, "S-so all those missing ponies are…"

"They've either been eaten, or been turned into that." I pointed a hoof at the captive vampire.

Beside Celestia, Luna was starting to lose control of herself. She was muttering under her breath and was casting furious glances at the vampire. Her eyes began to glow and the air around her plummeted about thirty degrees in just a few seconds. Celestia put a hoof on her sister's shoulder in an attempt to calm her, and then turned her attention back to me.

"What about a cure? There must be some way to reverse the process. There must be some hope for those taken by these creatures." She looked at me pleadingly, hoping for some silver lining.

At these words, all of my past failings came to the forefront of my mind. Susan getting captured and becoming infected. Me not being strong enough to prevent it, and then the years I spent looking for a cure that I could never find.

"I-I've searched for so long… Years of research… I couldn't find… I couldn't help…" I couldn't continue. I felt like an ice sickle was being shoved into my heart. Equal amounts of pain and cold guilt flooded me. I started shaking a little, unable to hold back the painful memories.

Without saying a word Michael appeared on my left. He placed a hoof on my shoulder and gave me a silent nod. To my right, Twilight did the same. She gave me a gentle reassuring smile. With that bit of support I managed to reorder my thoughts.

"No, Celestia. Once they take the final step and become a full Red Court vampire, there is no hope left." That answer had cost me something, but it probably would've been a lot worse without Michael's and Twilight's support. It's always nice to know that you have friends to help share a burden.

Celestia's head drooped low to the ground, despair clear on her face. She regained her composure within a second or two and turned to face the captive vampire.

"Very well then," she said in a much colder tone than she'd used before. With a flicker of light from her horn, the vampire in the middle of the room became enveloped in a bonfire.

It didn't scream for long, only a second or two. A few seconds after that, it was reduced to a pile of smoldering ash. The heat of Celestia's fire must've been extremely intense for it to have that much of an effect.

It was at this point that several of the mares behind me let out gasps of shock. Perhaps they'd never seen their ruler act so violently before. Fluttershy couldn't seem to take her eyes from the burning remains even as she tried to make herself as small as possible.

Celestia and Luna moved a few feet away and began conversing in hushed whispers, giving us a few glances as they talked. After about a minute of them talking, during which Michael and I tried to comfort Fluttershy, they returned and focused their attention on me.

Celestia spoke in a tone of absolute authority as she addressed me, "Mr. Dresden, you know more about these creatures than anypony else in Equestria. It is for this reason that'd I'd like to offer you a position within my military. Your job, should you choose to accept it, would be to teach my soldiers and guardsponies how best to combat this Red Court threat and to perform special strike missions as they become necessary. You would also be assigned a personal contingent of soldiers under your command."

I didn't really know what to say to that. I'd been assigned to train warden recruits sure, but I'd never been offered an active position in a large military like this. Before I could say anything though, one of the mares behind me decided to remind us why they were there.

"Now wait just a minute there. What about us?" Applejack interjected.

"Yeah, we came here because we want to help!" Rainbow added.

Celestia and Luna looked at each other again, and after a few more whispered words Celestia addressed the group as a whole.

"If you all wish to assist, then I will assign the bearers of the Elements of Harmony as a special strike force under the direct command of Mr. Dresden, to be trained and dispatched as he sees fit. That is of course, assuming that you accept my offer," Celestia said, shifting her attention from the group to me during the last statement.

At that point all eyes in the immediate vicinity were on me.

I shrugged to the group at large, "Well I am kinda stuck here, so what else am I gonna do. Yeah, I accept."


	8. Chapter 8

**Tales of a Wizard: Flesh Masks Ch. 8**

Celestia and Luna lead all of us out of the dungeon beneath Canterlot castle and into one of the conference rooms that branched off of the main hall. The conference room that we were seated in was clearly seldom used. There was a thin layer of dust over everything and there were several scrolls that lay forgotten around a large table capable of seating twenty ponies comfortably.

"I will ensure that news of your new position is made known, and you can expect your first group of soldiers to be ready for lessons tomorrow afternoon. But before any long term decisions are made my sister and I still need a briefing on these Red Court vampires," Celestia directed at Michael and I.

As soon as we had left the dungeons Celestia's mood and tone had improved greatly. She held her head higher and her voice became much more calm and soothing to listen to. Whether she was adopting a cool façade so that her subjects wouldn't see their ruler upset, or if she was simply happy to put the burning vampire out of sight, I wasn't sure.

"What exactly are you looking for, how they are as a group, their goals, or how best to fight them?" I asked back.

"We'll leave the fighting lessons to our soldiers, just tell us how they act as a whole," Luna responded.

I started by spelling out the Red Court's goals to the princesses as I had done to Twilight and her friends.

"So they simply want us destroyed?" Celestia asked.

"No, if they simply killed us all, then they'd have no food. They want to subdue us, to keep us alive for the sole purpose of feeding off of us," Michael answered.

Many of the ponies at the table shifted uncomfortably at these words.

"You make them sound intelligent, how intelligent are these creatures?" asked Celestia.

I nodded my head, "They are intelligent as we are. A pony retains their same level of thought process after being turned, unless they go feral of course."

"So then could they be reasoned with, treaties could be made, bargains struck?" Celestia asked.

"You can't seriously want to make a deal with these things?" Rainbow yelled from her seat.

I waved her down, and addressed Celestia, picking my words carefully. "Yes, they can be negotiated with, but I would highly advise against that. You have to understand that the Red Court will not stop until they get what they want, they will only honor a treaty so long as it benefits them to do so. If you try to make a long term peace with them, then you'll fall into the same trap my ponies, uh people, fell into. The Red Court used the peace to build their forces and tried to execute a lethal first strike against us."

Celestia and Luna glanced between each other and frowned in deep thought.

"There is one other thing," I added, "the Red Court don't always look like the monster you captured. They can create a kind of second skin to wear over their true form, a flesh mask. This flesh mask will make them look like any other pony and allow them to move around without being noticed."

Luna looked shocked at this. "So they could be hiding in one of our cities?"

I shook my head. "It's definitely possible, but I don't think so. The three that Michael and I were after will have no idea how to integrate their vampiric nature into pony society, so they'll stick out wherever they go. The ponies they turn will have a similar problem. Without a teacher that knows how to integrate their new vampiric hunger into the pony society, they'll be unable to remain hidden for long in any populated area."

"So it's much more likely that they have a base of operations somewhere nearby a big city, probably in a location most would avoid, like the Everfree Forest," Michael added.

"What of their weaknesses," Celestia asked. "Is there anything we can exploit to hinder them?"

I chuckled a little at that, "Short of keeping the sun in the sky twenty four seven, no not really."

Everypony there, except Michael, looked at me with confusion evident on their faces.

I sighed and made the mental switch back into lecture mode. "Vampires of the Red Court have one major weakness, they can't stand the sun. Direct sunlight burns them and if they're in it for long enough, it'll kill them."

I could see the cogs working in Celestia's head as she processed this information. "Well I can't exactly leave the sun up constantly, but this does give me an edge I can use." She directed her attention back to me, "So these vampires are completely unable to operate during the daylight hours?"

I shook my head, "Not necessarily, no. They are hindered of course, but they are clever at finding workarounds. I've seen vampires move during the day by slinking from one shadow to another, by wearing extremely thick clothing, or even by burrowing a simple tunnel system."

Celestia looked back at me after a moment of consideration. "Alright, I think that will be enough for now. The first group of soldiers I send to you will be those that are assigned to your command. You can expect them in the east wing of the castle barracks tomorrow after lunch. Twilight will be able to show you the way."

I looked around at Twilight, one eyebrow disappearing into my mane, "You know where the barracks is?"

"Well yeah, I did live here for most of my childhood," she said, giving me the same frustrated look that normally preceded a facehoof.

I smiled sheepishly, "Oh yeah, right."

_Damn it, that's right. She was Celestia's student. I wonder if this means I can get away with my usual level of property damage._

"Until then you can all consider yourselves off duty," Luna said to all of us, then turned her attention to Twilight and her friends. "Why don't you six show Mr. Dresden and Mr. Carpenter around the castle or around the city. I've already sent word for bedrooms to be prepared for each of you within the barracks, they should be ready by the time you're done sightseeing."

The eight of us got up and started heading for the door.

"Until later then princesses," I called over my shoulder as we left them to their planning.

We walked into the entry hall and gathered into a group.

"Well we've got an afternoon free, what do you guys wanna do?" I asked to the group.

"Well like Luna said, I reckon Twilight should show us around the castle. The rest of us been 'ere a few times but never long enough to really get a handle on the layout," said Applejack.

"Then after we should go into Canterlot and socialize a bit. I think I need to take my mind off what we saw earlier," Rarity piped up.

"Alright fine, but remember tomorrow we're starting training. So stay up only as late you feel comfortable with," Michael commented.

"Dude, do you ever just crash and have fun?" I poked at the guy.

"We just saw Celestia kill a vampire and now you want to have fun?" he responded.

I shrugged, "Hey, I take my laughs where I can get them. With the kind of life I lead, I'm always looking to get a couple laughs in."

At these words Pinkie just kind of appeared in front of me. "I can take care of that! I am the Element of Laughter after all. Now I'm going to need balloons, streamers, and cupcakes! I wonder if Vinyl is around…"

I placed a hoof on her shoulder, cutting her off mid-thought. "Pinkie, Pinkie I need you to listen. Okay, are you focused? Pinkie, focus on my words. I do not want a big crazy and loud party. I get enough of excitement when I'm working. I prefer a nice calm night to just hang out with my friends, where we just sit, chat, and maybe play a board game or two. Think you can handle that?"

"That actually does sound kind of nice," whispered Fluttershy.

Pinkie looked from me to Fluttershy, and then put on the biggest puppy dog eyes I've ever seen, "Can I still bring cupcakes?"

Who was I to deny her sugary treats? I nodded my head, "Yes Pinkie, I would love for you to bring cupcakes. Just promise me we'll keep it quiet."

Pinkie began bouncing on the spot. "I Pinkie promise! Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" She made various gestures to accompany her promise.

"Okay, we'll plan for a game night later. I think we've got plenty to do tonight though." I turned to face Twilight. "Alright then, Twilight, how about we get this tour on the road?"

Twilight seemed delighted at the opportunity to show her friends the specifics of her childhood home. "Well let's get going then!"

Twilight gave us a brief tour of the castle. She showed us all the main features that would be important for the days to come. She started with the throne room, a massive hall with marble pillars, and long red carpet ending at two ornate thrones side by side. The walls were decorated with stained glass windows with images depicting the two royal sisters.

I let out a low whistle, "Wow, you guys really go all out don't ya?"

Twilight nodded her head beside me. "Yeah, Celestia really likes to keep up appearances."

From there she showed us to the kitchens, where we managed to sneak a few apples, then we made our way to the castle gardens.

At the sight of all the different kinds of animals that lived in the gardens, Fluttershy began inching back and forth between the tour group and the collection of colorful animals. After several seconds of indecision she resigned herself to sticking with the group, not wanting to miss out on the rest of the castle. She did however cast a few longing glances back at the garden as we left.

I held back from the group and whispered to her, "Don't worry you're going to be staying here a while, so you can go and visit them whenever you're free."

That seemed to cheer her up immensely. She gave me a huge smile and trotted a little to keep up with the group. My shriveled little heart melted a little when I saw her smile, and I couldn't help breaking out in a smile of my own.

From the gardens Twilight led us to the entrance of the barracks, so that if any of us got separated during the rest of the day, we could at least make our way back here. The barracks entrance was a large set of wooden double doors, reinforced with iron bars. Two armor-clad guardsponies stood on either side of the door and eyed us warily.

As we approached the barracks, Michael broke off from the group. "I think I'll stay here for now. If I'm going to be of any use tomorrow I'll need to be able to actually spar with and teach the other, uh guardsponies."

"Alright man, I'll see you later," I called after him.

Michael drew _Amoracchius _from Rarity's scabbard and made his way through the barracks doors, presumably going to whatever sparing grounds were inside.

I turned to Twilight and asked, "Hey Twilight, does this place have a library on magic or something? I'd like to see how different magic is here than at home."

From the look she gave me, you'd think she'd just won the lottery, walked in on a surprise party, and gotten a new younger brother all at the same time. The smile plastered to her face was one of pure excitement and was, gonna call a spade a spade, kind of creepy.

Somewhere behind and above us, Rainbow muttered, "Oh great another egghead."

Twilight completely ignored her friend's remark and practically exploded into her haste to answer. "Yes, there's the Canterlot Royal Library! It has books on almost anything you could want. Oh, just wait until you see the Starswirl the Bearded wing!"

Twilight led us to one of the upper levels of the castle and through a large stone archway with the words Canterlot Royal Library inscribed on them. We passed into the library proper and got a look at all the potential reading material, I felt my jaw hit the floor and began drooling a bit. All around me were tomes of arcane knowledge stacked on shelves that reached the ceiling high above us.

I just stared around at all the ancient tomes, imagining the possibilities of what could be in them. "Hells bells, if knowledge is power, then I just found the BFG."

Twilight gave me a confused look, "Found the what?"

I shook my head, "It's nothing, hey what's the checkout policy here?"

"Just take whatever you want to checkout to that desk over there." She pointed at a desk where a rather bored looking unicorn sat.

I moved over to a nearby bookcase and picked out three different tomes more or less at random and made my way over to the desk Twilight had pointed out.

Behind me I heard Rainbow trying to whisper to Twilight, "Hey Twilight, do they have the new Daring Do here?"

I snickered at Rainbow's hypocrisy and turned to face Twilight after I had signed out the books. "Hey Twilight would you mind if I put these in your saddlebag, I don't really have one."

She smiled and took the books from me. "I don't mind, we'll have to get you a saddlebag when we go into the city."

"Which by the way may we go there now? I've already seen enough of this castle, I want to get some shopping done," Rarity moaned.

"Well If Harry doesn't mind…" Twilight began.

I cut her off, "It's perfectly fine with me. I would like to get outside a little."

So we all made our way out of the castle and towards Canterlot proper. The entire trip Rarity was listing all of the points of interest that she saw as important, which is to say almost every boutique or artsy place in the entire city. I wasn't really listening, I generally preferred to just randomly wander around and stumble across things until I create a list of places that I like. It's not really a fast system by any means, but it's how I like to do things.

"So what's this place called again?" I asked, speaking through a mouth full of delicious donut.

Twilight sat across from me at our booth and was enjoying her own piece of doughy perfection. "Donut Joe's, I used to come here all the time when I was studying under Celestia. Isn't that right Joe?" At the last couple of words, she raised her voice and faced the shop owner.

"Yes indeed, you and your little dragon friend were my best customers until you went to Ponyville," replied Joe, a large unicorn with a light orange coat and a dark orange mane and tail.

"Well this is very delicious. I think I'll just have to eat at Joe's more often." My joke was completely missed by Twilight.

_Pop culture has failed me! I'm going to need to make new material_, I thought to myself and sighed.

Twilight and I had been exploring Canterlot for most of the afternoon and the sun was starting to set. The rest of the gang had long since tired of my aimlessly wandering and run off to go do their own things. Rainbow had flown off, looking for some kind of nightclub. Rarity saw a poster of some random fashion show and promptly galloped off to attend it. Applejack left shortly after Rarity did, and headed back to the castle. I think Fluttershy left to go back to the royal gardens; she just kind of mumbled something then ran off so I couldn't really be sure. While Pinkie, I have no idea where she went, and I probably don't want to know. It would take more Ritalin than I think existed before I'd willingly try to figure out Pinkie's thought patterns.

So Twilight has been my only guide for the last couple of hours.

I noted the lateness of the day and asked Twilight, "Is there anything nearby you wanna check out? If not we should probably head back."

Twilight looked out of the shop window and down the street, "No, I don't think there's anything nearby worth… Oh wait, I remember this street! My parents' house is right down here. We should go say hi!"

"Uh yeah sure, but let's make it quick, it's getting late."

I dropped a few gold bits that Twilight had given me, from my new saddlebag onto the table. We got up and went down the street towards Twilight's parents.

Twilight knocked her hoof against the door, and within a few seconds it was answered. Twilight's parents answered the door and upon seeing their daughter, broke out in broad smiles and swooped her up in a big family hug.

Twilight's parents were both unicorns. Her father was maybe an inch shorter than me, with a blue coat and wavy navy blue mane and tail. His cutie mark seemed to be two yellow crescent moons, one within the other. Twilight's mother looked remarkably like her daughter. Her coat was a pure white and her mane and tail, done up in almost the exact same style as Twilight's, were a combination of white and purple stripes. Her cutie mark was simply three stars in the same shade of purple as the stripes in her mane.

"Mom, Dad! Oh I've missed you!" Twilight shouted as she hugged her parents.

"Oh sweetie, we've missed you too. We haven't seen you in ages," Mr. Sparkle said after her broke away from his daughter.

"Why don't you write anymore? We haven't gotten a letter from you in a month," Mrs. Sparkle asked.

Twilight shifted uncomfortably, afraid that she'd caused her parents to worry. "I'm sorry. I've just been so busy. The Princess keeps giving me various jobs to do on top of my friendship reports."

Mrs. Sparkle put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "It's alright dear, don't worry about it."

"So what to what do we owe this pleasure?" Mr. Sparkle only just noticed me and turned to examine me, "And who is this?"

"Oh, Mom and Dad, this is my friend, Harry Dresden," Twilight said, waving a hoof at me.

I smiled and tried to look friendly, "Nice to meet you." I raised a hoof, which Mr. Sparkle shook.

Despite my attempt at politeness both of Twilight's parents gave me the exact same suspicion-laden glare that Spike had shot at me.

_I don't get it, do I just look hostile?_

Twilight continued as though she hadn't noticed anything odd, "Princess Celestia hired him to give her soldiers lessons about, uh, a situation we're dealing with."

"Oh, so you're a military man. Our son's captain of the Royal Guard," Mr. Sparkle said with pride evident in his voice. "What's your rank?"

"I, uh, I don't really know. Did Celestia say anything about our ranks?" I directed my question at Twilight.

Twilight thought about it for a moment. "Well she's putting a whole battalion under your command, so I would assume that you're a commander. My friends and I are a special ops group under you, which is a rank in itself. Now that I think about it, you're my commanding officer."

I'd completely forgotten about that. "Oh yeah, I guess I am. Ugh, Rainbow's going to be a pain to rein in, isn't she?"

Twilight's parents were shocked into silence, and were staring at their daughter like she had just voiced a desire to live underground. After a second or two they broke out of their haze and started yelling at us.

"What do you mean you're in a special ops group?" Mr. Sparkle shouted.

"You didn't think to talk to us about this decision?" Mrs. Sparkle shouted in equal volume to her husband.

"And why would Celestia allow this, what does she need you for?" Mr. Sparkle added.

Twilight made several hushing motions to get her parents to quiet down. "If you'll calm down I'll tell you. Now have you heard about any disappearances in neighboring cities?"

"We've heard rumors, that's about it," Mrs. Sparkle said.

Twilight nodded her head, "Well they're true, ponies have been disappearing lately, and Harry has information about the things doing it that can help Celestia's soldiers."

"But honey, what about you, why are you involved in this?" Mrs. Sparkle pleaded with her daughter.

"Well what was I supposed to do? Ponies are getting hurt and the Elements of Harmony can help, so we will. It's as simple as that," Twilight said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Twilight's parents looked at each other with worried faces, and then turned to me.

"Just what is going on out there?" Mr. Sparkle asked me.

I hesitated for a moment. I don't know what Celestia's policies are for revealing sensitive information, but it would probably be best if the details of the Red Court didn't become common knowledge. Just a little fear in the right place could kick off riots with humans; I assumed that these ponies wouldn't be very different. Besides even if the news didn't spread beyond them, all it would do is make them worry more about Twilight. I didn't want to cause any more stress than was strictly necessary.

I held my head high and tried to copy Michael's reassuring voice, "I'm not sure if Celestia wants that to be known just yet. If you really want to know, go ask her. I can say that we are doing what we can to stop it."

That clearly didn't satisfy them, but they did seem a little reassured at least, knowing that there was at least some kind of reason and order to what their daughter was doing.

"Well it really is getting late, and I start my training tomorrow. We really need to get going, Harry." Twilight started turning around to leave. "Mom, Dad, I promise I'll visit when I can, so please don't worry."

Mrs. Sparkle nodded her head, "Okay honey, just be careful."

I turned to follow after Twilight, but was stopped by a blue hoof on my shoulder.

Mr. Sparkle gave me a determined look, and after a moment, spoke with a shaky voice, "Just, whatever happens, please bring her home to us. We already have one child we worry about getting hurt. I don't know what we'd do if something happened to her."

I froze and looked over Twilight's parents carefully. Many different thoughts about what I could say to make them feel at ease passed through my mind, the one I settled with was perhaps the most effective, and risky.

I straightened up and spoke in a clear carrying voice, "I promise, by my power, that I will do everything I can to protect Twilight."

Promises have power, especially among magical beings. Whenever you make a promise, some energy gets invested into that promise, and if that promise is broken, that energy backlashes against whoever made the promise. For most people that just means a slight headache, or maybe a short run of bad luck. But for a wizard a broken promise, especially one sworn by their power, causes that wizard's power to diminish slightly. It's not a large loss by any means, but it is still a loss of power, and the wizard is therefore less able to defend himself magically. No wizard would dare break a promise sworn by their power.

I doubt that Twilight's parents understood what I just did, but if the smiles on their faces were anything to judge by, they were as comforted as I could make them. I smiled and gave them a small nod, and then galloped off after Twilight.

"What was that about?" she asked as I caught up to her.

"Oh nothing, your dad just wanted a quick word." I looked around at the street we were on. "Uh, which way leads back to the castle? I'm kind of lost here."

She sighed and trotted off down the street. "Just follow me."

It took several minutes, and a couple wrong turns, but we eventually made our way back to Canterlot castle. Waiting for us outside the barracks entrance was the rest of our group, gathered in a small huddle. Michael looked up as we approached, smiled and waved us over.

"Well there ya'll are. We were 'bout to start searching Canterlot for ya," Applejack said as we approached.

"Where were you two?" Rarity asked.

"Twilight wanted to say hi to her parents, and then we got a little turned around on the way back here." I shook my head wearily. "Are our rooms ready? If I don't get some sleep soon, I will make a bed, out off Celestia's throne if necessary."

Rainbow yawned and floated lazily in the air. "Yeah, they've been ready for over an hour, and now that you're here we can finally go to bed."

We pushed through the large double doors into the barracks. The immediate entryway was a fairly standard large cross-hallway. Straight ahead of us was a hallway lined with doors that would presumably open into various armories, smithies, or classrooms. To my left the hall opened into a large, open, and mostly vacant, sparing ground. There were several wooden dummies set up to practice on. I thought I saw one particular dummy with several gashes sized to fit _Amoracchius _in it. To my right was a spiral staircase extending to the floors above and below us.

Michael made for the staircase. "Our rooms are on the floor above us."

We followed him and made our way to the second floor. As it turns out the princesses had gotten us rooms almost right next to the entrance. On the second floor landing there was only one hallway that extended back over the barracks entrance, the end of the hallway opened into a balcony overlooking the sparing ground. In between the staircase and the balcony were several doors with our respective name plates on them.

I made my way over to my door. "Goodnight all, see you tomorrow. Word of warning, I am not a morning guy, wake me up at your own risk."

Various forms of "goodnight" responded back as I went into my room. It was a fairly simple room as such things go. There was a large bed, a chest to store my stuff in, and a little desk, all in all, not bad.

I dropped my saddlebag into the chest and noticed a small pouch on the desk. I opened it and saw it had a generous amount of bits inside.

_A startup salary I assume._

I tossed the bag into the chest as well, and then collapsed onto my bed, completely spent.

_Tomorrow should be fun,_ I thought to myself,_ the Bearers of the Elements start their training and I get my own personal battalion of soldiers. Oh if the White Council could see me know._ I looked down at my hooves._ Okay they'd probably laugh in my face but still. So, what should I do first tomorrow…?_


	9. Chapter 9

**Flesh Masks: Chapter 9**

Now here's something I never thought I could legitimately put on my résumé: Harry Dresden, private investigator, wizard and warden of the White Council, and commander of vampire-hunting ponies.

I had spent the last two hours or so addressing my new battalion, outlining the same information I'd given to the princesses and in general going over the basics needed for surviving the Red Court, which is to say doing whatever you can to keep them out of reach of you. The thirty armored ponies before me drank in every word I said and responded in a precise manner I've come to associate with a life of order and discipline.

My battalion was comprised of even numbers of earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns. Each of them looking rather intimidating in their barding that ranged from heavy to light plating to best suit the ponies individual roles.

I addressed the soldiers with a cocksure grin on my face. "So here's a quick scenario, you are alone in one of the castle hallways and are confronted by a single Red Court vampire. What do you do?"

Several hooves shot into the air. I picked one more or less at random. "You, tall dark and looming, what's your name?"

A stout chestnut coated earth pony stallion stepped forward. "Blockade sir, and you would stand your ground against the creature. Aim your strikes at its knees to lame it, and then go for the kill."

I eyed him and gave him an amused smile, "Very well thought out, and very noble. You are of course dead, but you died nobly."

Blockade shot a surprised look back at me, and several whispers ran through my battalion.

"Please keep in mind," I raised my voice so I could be heard over their murmurs, "that the Red Court are supernaturally strong and swift. It would take a soldier of uncommon skill to defeat one alone. If you find yourself faced with one alone, do the smart thing and fallback until you have another pony to help you."

"Yes sir." Blockade gave me a small bow and returned to his line.

I looked over at the window and noticed the sun at its highest, midday position. I needed to wrap this up if I was going to have time to assess how the Bearers of the Elements should be used.

"Alright, we're done here for now, report to Michael at the sparing grounds for lessons on how to properly fight a vampire, just in case you do decide to be noble." They immediately got up and began following my orders, moving towards the practice grounds and mumbling among themselves.

I had appointed Michael as my second in command, and as he has loads more actual close combat experience than me, as the actual instructor for any combat practices. To the soldiers I was more or less just the instructor of the academic and tactical aspects of combat. This was fine by me because it left me more time to handle my spec ops group.

I don't really know which was more absurd, that I had my own special ops group, or that it was comprised of ponies. Well whichever it was, I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought.

I left the classroom and made my way down the hall to one of the smaller sparing rooms that branched off of the main one. These rooms were mainly used for private practices, and would serve me well for Twilight's and her friends' training.

I found them already in the room I'd asked them to wait in while I dealt with my battalion. They were perusing the variety of weapons on the walls. Stacked against the walls were several wooden racks containing a wide variety of weaponry such as, spears, swords, and most bizarrely, crossbows.

I moved to examine the odd pony-made weapon. Where there would be a grip and trigger on the human-made counterpart, instead there was a brace and several straps meant to attach the crossbow to its wielder's foreleg. On the side was a small lever that released the loaded bolt. So you would've had to aim with one foreleg and use the other to fire, while having to balance on your hind legs.

_Don't think I could hold steady long enough on my hind legs to get a shot off._

"Look pretty cool don't they?" said Rainbow from right above me.

I took a moment to get my heart to resume its normal rhythm. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

She chuckled at my comment and proceeded to take one of the crossbows off the rack.

While she was busy trying to figure out how to put on her crossbow, the rest of my new team moved to form a line in front of me.

I took a moment to look them over and decide what to do next. "Alright, since you all seem so hell-bent on fighting next to me, the least I can do is make sure you're at least somewhat prepared. Now let's see what you all can do. Applejack, Pinkie, get on the sparing mats."

The two mares glanced at each other, and then back to me. "You want us to fight each other?" Applejack asked.

"No, of course not. I'm assuming that neither of you have much experience fighting, so what would be the point of pitting two ponies that don't know what they're doing against each other?"

I moved over to the entrance of our private training room.

Before I opened the door, I looked over my shoulder at them and smiled a wicked smile, "I'm going to have you fight trained soldiers."

The looks on their faces were priceless; they were completely shocked and uncertain of their immediate task. But they wanted to help me, so I needed to know what they could do.

I opened the door and called to Michael, who was busy instructing his own group. "Hey Michael, I need two soldiers for sparing practice!"

Within a few seconds two earth ponies came into the room and faced their opponents. One was a large stallion built like a brick wall, and the other was a mare that looked like she probably could've landed a dozen blows before you even registered one.

Applejack and Pinkie went to their respective mats and awaited their sparing partners. I sent the stallion to square off against Applejack, while Pinkie got the mare.

As the two parties began sparing, I saw that I was right in my assumption, Pinkie and Applejack were tough but they didn't know how to properly fight.

Applejack was putting up one heck of a fight though. Her opponent gave her no quarter and landed blows on her side and legs, never really hitting hard enough to do anything more than bruise. Despite how out classed she was, she managed to land a few blows of her own onto her opponent, including one painful looking buck that sent the stallion flying a good couple of feet. But no matter how many times she was knocked down to the mat, she always pulled herself up and jumped right back into the fray.

It was around the fourth time that Applejack got knocked to mat that Rainbow was unable to restrain herself.

She flew right into the stallion's face and gave him her best glare, "Hey! That's my friend and if you hurt her again, so help me I'll-"

I was about to call her off, order her if I had to, but was beaten to the punch.

"Rainbow, it's alright, I'm fine," Applejack scolded her.

"But AJ, he's-"

"He's doing his job. It's called training for a reason, Rainbow. Now please just let me continue."

Rainbow grumbled under her breath but backed off from the soldier and retreated to her corner of the room.

Applejack immediately resumed trying to fight the soldier, not losing any of her momentum. Heck, she didn't even look tired, despite being knocked around so much. There's no doubt about it, that mare is tough.

_Put her in some nice, thick barding and position her right, she could probably hold back the world if she needed to._

I smiled and turned my attention to Pinkie. I'm still not entirely sure how exactly she was doing what she was doing. Pinkie's opponent was throwing constant lightning fast kicks and the occasional buck, but to no avail, Pinkie was dodging every single attack. Pinkie was dodging and weaving around her attacks like she knew exactly where they were going to be before they got there.

_Of course, her Pinkie Sense must give her crazy reflexes. Not a bad skill to have._

It was then that I noticed something, Pinkie wasn't retaliating, she wasn't even trying to. Pinkie seemed to be trying to wear down her sparring partner through simple overexertion. Not a bad strategy if you're only fighting one opponent and have a larger stamina pool than that opponent. But that strategy takes time and would leave her open to attack from behind, she needed to learn to be more aggressive.

"Hold up, hold up you two." I moved over to Pinkie, "Pinkie, the point of a sparring session is to actually fight back against the pony you're fighting."

She faced me and looked a little appalled, "But I don't want to hurt her. If I hurt her then she won't want to be friends."

"Au contraire," said the soldier. "I love a good fight; nothing gets the blood pumping like a blast of adrenaline." She stood up on her hind legs and spread her forelegs to the air on either side of her, "Come at me!"

Pinkie thought about it for a second, then in her normal bouncy manner said, "Okie dokie lokie!"

The two went at each other again with renewed vigor, but this time Pinkie was actually fighting back. Whenever Pinkie dodged an attack she would try to counter with a jab or a kick to her partner's midsection. She was being clumsy about it, and her unfamiliarity with attacking back was leaving her open to receiving several hits to her own midsection. But through it all she never stopped giggling, even with the occasional grunts of pain.

_Not bad, not bad at all. They're already tough in their own way. Just give them a little practice and they'll be real fighters._

I stomped my hoof onto the hard floor, sending a resounding note through the room. Both groups of sparing ponies immediately stopped and gave me their attention. "Very nice, very nice." I pointed a hoof at the mare Pinkie was fighting, "I want you to send a note to the smithy. I need a set of heavy barding for Applejack, and some light barding for Pinkie. It's very important that Pinkie have a full range of movement in her barding."

"At once sir," she said back and bowed low.

I turned to face Applejack and Pinkie. "And you two, go with her. They'll probably need to take some measurements. Then after you're done with that, join Michael's class. If the class is over, ask for private lessons from him."

They immediately snapped to action and began carrying out my orders.

It was a little odd to see my orders being carried out without question. I've gotten used to preteens whining that my orders are too hard or my superiors in the White Council trying to manipulate me into doing what they personally wanted me to do. It was nice to see a clear chain of command for once.

I turned to my two pegasi to assess how they should be used. Rainbow was busy shooting dark glances at the stallion that was fighting Applejack and fiddling with her crossbow.

_She's just overprotective, _I told myself. _Still, I need to rein her in. One outburst at the wrong time, and she'll get herself or others killed._

I looked up at her and called in the same clear authoritative tone I took with new warden recruits, "Rainbow, come here."

She flew over and sat down in front of me. For whatever reason, I seemed to have her respect, probably because of the Iron Will incident, but that wasn't the same thing as having her follow my orders.

"You seem to like that crossbow, huh?"

"Yeah, it looks pretty cool, and I figured that it'd be better to be able to hit something from a distance."

That was sound logic. The rest of my group was largely ground-based. Having a pony that could attack from above would be a useful asset.

I turned to the soldier still waiting at the edge of the room. "Soldier, what's your name?"

"Lockdown, commander," he responded.

"I assume there is a training center here for archers?"

"Yes sir, it's taught by Lieutenant Nightingale."

I turned to face Rainbow. "Good, Rainbow I want you to go and join that class. I'll need a pony that can rain down crossbow bolts from above."

She practically beamed at me, "Awesome, sounds like fun."

"And Lockdown will accompany you," I added.

That changed her mood almost immediately. "What! No way, I don't want his help. I-"

"Nearly attacked him just because he was sparing with Applejack," I cut in. "You are a good and loyal friend Rainbow, but you need to learn to control yourself. If you abandon a crucial assignment because you see a friend get hurt, then ponies will die, because of you." I put extra emphasis on the last couple of words to really hammer my point in. She needed to understand the importance of focus.

The look she gave me was a stubborn mask, unwilling to allow herself to be changed so easily. She didn't however, immediately retort back, which was as much a victory as I could hope for at the moment.

"Fine," she muttered, "let's go." Rainbow followed Lockdown out of the room and out of my sight.

_Now for Fluttershy_, I thought as I turned towards the yellow pegasus.

As I turned my gaze on her, Fluttershy tried very hard to shrink and blend in with the stone floor. She was far too timid for any kind of actual combat, but from what her friends have told me of her, and from Twilight's stories of their random misadventures, Fluttershy was very capable of becoming extremely fearsome. So much so that she could stare down a full grown dragon and having a skill like that in a fight could turn the tide of a losing battle. However her outbursts appear to happen only occasionally and only when her friends are in real danger.

_So the challenge becomes what to have you do the rest of the time…_

Then a thought hit me, according to her friends Fluttershy's job back at home was caring for the local wildlife, and when we got to the castle her first reaction was to assist the wounded.

I looked at the pegasus and tried to adopt the same assuring and authoritative tone my old mentor used whenever I was nervous, "Fluttershy, how much do you know about patching up ponies?"

She immediately stopped trying to hide behind her pink mane and gave me her full attention. "Uhm, I know how to apply bandages, and treat cuts. I know of a variety of herbs that are useful for preventing infections in wounds. I've even had to set a bone back into place when a pony lost control of his plow."

I nodded my head, "Good, good. Fluttershy, if it's alright with you, I'd like to use you as a field medic." I didn't want to outright order her like I did Rainbow. For a pony of Fluttershy's nature the only way I would get full use from her, would be if she willingly cooperated. "Your job would be to move about the battlefield, collect any wounded you see, and move them out of harm's way to be treated. It will not be pleasant work and you would be in danger, but having you there could mean the difference between life and death for those that get hurt."

I realized the mistake I'd made the moment the words left my mouth. I had wanted to ease her into this discussion, to offer her a way out if possible, or maybe a position as a doctor in the castle. But it was too late, the instant I made her aware that her help would be needed in the field. I'd forced a direct confrontation of her two greatest instincts, her desire to avoid conflict, and her desire to help where it's needed most. No matter what she chose, she would be tearing herself up over it later.

The yellow pegasus's eyes were darting around in her skull as she ran through the implications of what her choices would mean. She began to tremble and tried to shrink into the floor. I was sure she would refuse to go with us. But as Fluttershy turned and saw Twilight and Rarity standing in the corner, giving Fluttershy reassuring smiles, she stood back up and straightened her back.

"If my friends are h-helping, then so am I," she said with a slight stammer, but otherwise her voice was hard with conviction.

Behind her, Twilight and Rarity beamed at each other, proud that they could have inspired such bravery in their friend. I got to say, I was proud of her too. Ignoring your base nature to help others isn't something many are willing to do. But at the same time, I knew that answer was going to cost her later. I was going to need to keep an eye on her to see how she copes after her first real fight.

I smiled and nodded at her, "Good, then I want you to report to the medical wing in the castle. Learn all you can about the kind of fast medical practices you will be using in the field."

She nodded and whispered, "Yes, Harry." She left the room and hurried of towards the medical wing.

After Fluttershy left I turned towards Twilight and Rarity. "Well, all things considered, that went rather well."

"You probably could've been a bit gentler with asking Fluttershy, but yeah it turned out fine," Twilight said, nodding her head a little.

"Well let's get to it, Rarity we'll start with you. You see the dummy at the end of the room?" I pointed to a wooden practice pony at the far end of the room.

Rarity looked at it and nodded. "Yes, what do you want me to do with it?"

"Just hit it with your best telekinetic burst. Try to knock it over."

"Okay, I shall try."

Rarity took a position about fifty feet away from the dummy and began concentrating on her intended spell. The horn on her head began to glow a light blue, and sweat beaded her forehead. After a few seconds she launched a small light blue wave of kinetic energy at the wooden dummy. The shot fizzled and died about three-quarters of the way to its target. The remainder of the spell that washed over the dummy barely made it wobble.

Rarity hung her head a little. "I'm sorry Harry. This brute force stuff was never my strong suit. Now if you want me to weave you some clothing or robes with magic, or maybe pinpoint where gems are underground, that I can do."

I studied Rarity for a moment. The purpose of this test wasn't to determine how well she could fight, it was to see how much raw power she had, and according to what I saw, that wasn't much. But that didn't mean that she wasn't useful. In most cases the winner of a fight isn't the one with the most power, it's the one that knows how to use it better.

_If she can easily locate gems under the ground, and move around a needle with pin-point accuracy, then she must have some skill. Even with a unicorn's telekinetic ability weaving with magic can't be easy. I wonder…_

"Rarity, how much do you know about subtle magic?" I asked her.

Rarity looked back at me with a puzzled expression, "How do you mean?"

"I mean any kind of magic where control and focus is more important than force. Something like wards, illusions, or-"

Rarity cut me off right there. "Oh, illusions, I do pride myself on my illusions. Focusing light on or away from something is very important during a fashion show. Most ponies prefer to use lighting crews, but I've always liked to cast a few illusions to give my designs that extra shine and sparkle. Why I've even designed a dress or two that I imbued with a little illusion magic so that it changed color depending on how much light it was in."

I felt a grin stretch across my face, _Perfect._

"Okay, then whip up something real quick. Make a quick spell meant to distract or incapacitate an enemy, like make it harder to see or too quiet to hear. Then just throw it at me."

Twilight's face immediately became worried, "Harry, are you sure about that?"

I waved a hoof in her general direction, "I'll be fine, I'll be fine. Now come on Rarity, hit me with your best shot."

I really should've thought that through.

After another moment of concentration and a brief flash of blue light, my world became an empty stretch of white. A blinding light so intense that it even shone through my eyelids, prevented me from seeing anything around me. My ears were in searing pain from what sounded like feedback from a stereo speaker placed right next to my head.

As suddenly as it started, it stopped. I dimly noticed that I was lying on the ground on my side. Twilight was standing over me gently shaking my side.

"Harry, Harry? Are you okay? Can you hear me?" Her voice was muted slightly as my ears were still ringing.

"Just gimme a sec, I'll be fine." I sat up from the floor and began pawing at my ears to try and get them to stop ringing.

Rarity moved in front of me a look of guilt on her face, "Oh my goodness, Harry are you alright?"

_There's not enough migraine medication in the world..._

I gave her a reassuring smile, "Yes, Rarity I'm fine. That was exactly what I wanted you to do. I wasn't really expecting quite that intensity, but that's even better."

Twilight and Rarity just gave me perplexed looks.

I shook my head a bit, "Rarity, you don't really have much in the way of offensive capability, with pure magic anyway. But you could be one heck of a hindrance to enemy forces. With a little training you could pull illusions like that on a much larger scale. Now I have some basic knowledge of such magic, so I can at least get you started. But brute magical force is more my area of expertise, so we'll have to get you a more capable trainer." I rubbed a hoof under my chin. "If memory serves, Luna specializes in delicate magic, I think I'll send her a letter asking if she can tutor you whenever she's free."

Rarity was completely shocked at those last few words. "Private lessons with P-princess Luna!"

I nodded my head. "Yeah, but again, that's only if she accepts. If she doesn't I'll have to try to find somepony else." I walked over to one of the weapon racks. "Now, since you have little offensive magic, you should take one of these weapons, just in case something gets too close."

Rarity, still a little dazed at the concept of lessons with Luna, mumbled, "Uhm, yes weapon, right." She shook her head, regaining some composure. "Does it have to be one of these things? They look so crude."

I looked over my shoulder at her, "You have a better idea?"

Rarity shuffled a little. "No, it's just, they're so bland."

I sighed, "You'll just have to deal. Here, take the dagger, it's lightweight so it won't encumber you and you should be able to whip it around you fairly easily if anything gets too close."

I levitated one of the daggers off its rack and over to Rarity. The aura around it shifted from dark red to light blue as she took it.

She looked at the simple dagger with distaste. "Very well, Mr. Dresden."

I turned towards Twilight, "All right, your turn. Do the same thing Rarity did, and try to knock over one of the dummies."

Twilight nodded and took her position where Rarity had. With a brief flash of purple light, Twilight sent a burst of energy down the room and knocked over the target. She turned back towards me smiling.

I nodded my head, "Alright, simple enough. Let's try something with a bit more bite. Have you ever used fire magic before?"

"I've lit candles before. All you do is focus heat energy from the environment onto the target right?" she asked me.

"Exactly, but here you need to focus that energy into a ball, and then shoot it at the target." I paused for a moment, thinking about what I wanted her to do. "Eh, why not. Twilight, let's see just how much power we're dealing with. Pack as much energy as you can into your shot."

She looked at me uncertainly, "Are you sure about that?"

"Are you going to aim at me?"

"No, of course not!"

"Then I'll be fine. This is just to see what I'm working with."

She gulped and set out to focus her spell. Her horn immediately began to glow as she drew in power. For several seconds, she just stood there focusing, and I was beginning to think that she had reached her limit for how much power she could control. Just as I was about to tell her to release the spell, the glow around her horn grew, doubling then tripling in size. It was becoming hard to look at without squinting.

The air around Twilight dropped a couple dozen degrees as she took all the heat energy she could from the environment. Ice began forming over everything within several feet of Twilight, but not Twilight herself. The heat energy she was collecting was making her practically glow, and steam was rising from her lavender coat.

I took a step away from the unicorn. "Uh, Twilight, I think you should-"

I was cut off when Twilight released her spell. The fireball Twilight sent screaming at the dummies was about the size of two large stallions. It raced down the room, hit one of the center wooden dummies, and splashed fire over everything in the immediate vicinity.

Though of course, even magic can't always ignore physics, and with that much force moving forward, there had to be some moving backwards too. After Twilight loosed the spell, the repercussive energy sent her flying into the wall behind her. I hurried over to her, completely ignoring the aftermath of her spell. When I got to her she was already starting to pull herself together.

I examined her as best I could, I didn't see anything too damaged. She would have one nasty ache at worst. "Twilight do you feel okay?"

She looked up and tried to focus on me, but couldn't owing to the fact that her eyes were pointing in opposite directions. Either the shock from her impact with the wall, or the effort needed to pull of that spell had thoroughly dazed her.

"H-how'd I do?" Her voice was very faint, as though she hadn't slept in days.

I smiled and sighed, relieved that she was alright, and turned to see what damage she'd done. Every piece of wooden equipment within twenty feet of the dummies was on fire. I was impressed, with a little bit of work, she would be able to cause property damage as well as me.

_She could probably make her way into the White Council if she wanted, heck she could be a warden if she applied herself._

Granted, however powerful that was, it still took a solid twenty seconds to pull off and would be impractical in battle. But that's what I'm here for, she had the potential, I just needed to help her control it.

Rarity couldn't tear her eyes away from the destruction Twilight had caused. "I've never seen anything more amazing. That was one of the scarier things I've ever seen of course, but still amazing."

"Yeah, I think I'll get some use out of you yet Ms. Sparkle." I nodded in agreement.

It was at this point that several guards burst through the door. "What happened? We heard an explosion."

They saw the copious amount of burning wood at the far end of the room.

"Fire!" one of the guards screamed, "Fire! We need water in here now!"

I turned back around to the two unicorn mares. "We should probably get moving before they decide to fine us for damaged property."

Rarity nodded her head, "Agreed."

With a little effort, we managed to get Twilight back onto her hooves, and we slipped out of the room while the guardsponies were still preoccupied with putting out the fire.

I grinned as we left the sparing grounds. _For once there's a fire and it's not my fault._

* * *

Days began creeping by as the various members of my team went through their respective training assignments.

I had instructed all of Twilight's friends to report back to me at the end of every day. The speed with which my team was progressing through their training was astounding.

I had very quickly developed a routine. In the mornings I would grab whatever breakfast the castle chefs, saw fit to send me, and eat while watching over the sparing grounds from the balcony nearby. Most mornings Applejack and Pinkie were already there, either receiving private lessons from Michael, or else sparing with random soldiers.

With each day Applejack was becoming more and more hardy and unyielding against her attackers. Applejack seemed to scorn the more standard military weapons, in favor of her trusty length of rope. She would often go against multiple opponents while she was armed with her rope. I have no idea where she learned to fight with that thing, maybe Michael is skilled with unconventional weapons, maybe she learned it on her farm, I don't know. But what I've seen her do with it, was impressive.

During one memorable session Applejack was pitted against three lower ranked soldiers. They had some sense about them and decided that their best course of action would be to surround her, and then attack from all sides. Against anypony else, it probably would've worked. Applejack loved to use her rope to tangle up her enemies. When the three rushed her, she whipped that rope around one of their legs and used him as a weapon as she flung him at the second attacker. The third reached her and hammered a few blows into her side, which she took easily. She swung a foreleg at her attacker to buy her a second, and then planted an almighty buck into his chest.

With one opponent gasping for air, and the other two still trying to disentangle themselves from each other, Applejack held her head high and began trotting away. "Never mess with a rodeo pony, boys."

_What kind of rodeo does she go to?_

On the other side of the room Pinkie was usually busy with her own sparring/free-style dancing session.

Pinkie could usually be seen sparring with one or two random soldiers. Once Pinkie got the general idea of how to fight, there were very few that could ever touch her. Whenever she fought against random soldiers she would dodge almost every one of their attacks and would throw precise counters meant to disable or unbalance. She would giggle constantly and would throw in random dance moves as she attacked or evaded. And always after a fight, she would offer cupcakes to her opponents.

I got to say, I've never seen a fighter that could make combat look at home in a disco studio. It was pretty hilarious to watch.

The only opponent that could keep up with Pinkie was the mare she originally sparred with. True to her word, she and Pinkie became fast friends. Pinkie would most often be seen sparing with her new friend, and each day Pinkie would move faster, hit harder, and more accurately.

For a time after our 'disagreement', Rainbow was giving me the cold shoulder. Rainbow refused to talk to me unless it was about her lessons or some other official business. As stubborn as she is, that's not surprising.

Rainbow's lessons primarily focused on accurate aiming, and precise aerial maneuvers. Her class booked the Wonderbolts race track every day in the afternoon for drills. When Rainbow told me of where she would be practicing, she practically turned into child and started bouncing like Pinkie. It was adorable. Evidently getting to do anything Wonderbolt related was enough of a treat to make her forget her grievances with me.

Rainbow really was one talented flier. She quickly outmatched the rest in her class for sheer speed and maneuverability. I watched during a few of their training sessions, and was treated to one heck of a show. Rainbow was put through her paces as she was tasked with a variety of obstacles. She was maneuvered though such a complex series of loops, twists, and turns that I hurt my neck trying to keep up with it all.

Then came the more practical portion of the class, archery. Rainbow was able to keep surprisingly still while flapping her wings and the bolts she fired generally went where they were supposed to. She was getting more and more accurate with each session and was starting to become a decent sharpshooter. The maximum distance I'd seen her hit the target with any amount of accuracy was at about sixty feet.

During her best session I'd witnessed, she was tasked with hitting a target I was floating in midair. She started forty feet away, loosed a bolt and hit it dead center. She moved to about fifty feet away, paused as she aimed carefully, and again hit it dead center. The other students behind her cheered her on, as she set up for the third shot.

Emboldened by their cheers she decided to take it one step further, and fired the third bolt while flying past the target as fast as she could go. The bolt hit home, not quite on the center, but not far off.

Her teacher, Lieutenant Nightingale was a pure black pegasus mare with a navy blue mane and tail, and a yellow crescent moon for a cutie mark. Nightingale approached me after that particular session and asked if I'd be willing to trade Rainbow for a few of her other recruits.

"No can do," I told her. I looked back at the blue pegasus now doing aerial somersaults for her fellow classmates. "She's going to be the stubborn pride of my team."

I meant it too. I knew that no matter how nasty the coming experiences may be, so long as there was still one of my team willing to stand up and fight, then the others would find strength in that pony and stand beside her. That one pony was Rainbow. No matter how nasty things got, she would never back down, not when her friends were on the line. Put simply, her ego was just too big to let her quit.

I haven't been able to observe much of Fluttershy's medical training, owing to the fact that I have five other mares and a battalion that demands my attention. But from what she's told me in her reports, she's becoming quite the nurse. Over the past few days Fluttershy has been reporting to me everything thing she's learned during each day in the castle's medical wing.

On the first day when I assigned her to her position, she was more or less just an observer within the facility. She spent the entire day just watching and learning the basic medical practices. She got to start participating when she evidently corrected a trained doctor about how best to treat a broken wing. Despite having no real medical training before, Fluttershy seemed to just know, on some fundamental level, how to make others feel better.

She quickly became an assistant nurse to the head doctor, and spent most of her time prepping patients for surgeries, mending cuts and wounds, and setting broken or dislocated bones back into place. As obvious as it was that she was constantly surrounded by those in pain, it couldn't be clearer that she was having the time of her life.

She told me several stories in her reports of how she helped different patients through their respective troubles, and the look on her face with each story, was one of pure joy. Each pony she helped, every bone mended, and every wound healed was precious to the yellow pegasus.

One story in particular stood out in her recounting. A unicorn had been attacked nearby Canterlot and had been found and brought to the castle just in time. He had a couple of broken bones and several nasty cuts. The assigned doctor began treating immediately, choosing to focus on the broken bones first. Fluttershy noticed that at one spot on the unicorn's side was slightly distended and discolored. She knew that could only mean that he had internal bleeding. She told the doctor and they immediately shifted their focus to the more important issue. Because of Fluttershy, that unicorn survived, and it would be a memory that Fluttershy would treasure forever.

My lessons with Twilight and Rarity were a little tricky to organize. Immediately after Twilight learned to commit arson, I sent a letter to Luna asking if she'd be willing to teach Rarity. I got my reply within an hour.

_Dear Mr. Dresden,_

_I would be delighted to teach the unicorn, Rarity. Please come by my quarters at your earliest convenience._

_Princess Luna_

After receiving this letter, Rarity and I made our way to Luna's chambers. As we entered Luna's room we got a good look at what the Princess of the Night likes to do in her spare time.

Luna's room was littered with what seemed like engineering design plans and various gadgets. Luna herself was focusing on a particular gadget floating in the air above a workbench. She looked over at us when we came in. She smiled and set down whatever it was that she was working on, and made her way over towards us.

"Greetings Dresden, greetings Rarity, how are you?"

I'm not really sure what I was expecting to see in her room, but it certainly wasn't this.

"Luna, what is all of this?" I asked, the reason for my visit temporarily leaving me.

Luna looked back around her room, and only then seemed to realize how much of a cluttered mess it was.

"Oh, forgive my mess. I can get a tad focused when I'm working on something." She moved over to one of the discarded gadgets and held it up for me to see. "I've been working with the head engineer in the castle. She has an idea to incorporate my complex magic into her mechanics. The desired result would be devices that respond to the users thoughts, as opposed to their actions." She smiled excitedly at the idea, in the exact same manner Twilight did when she bombarded me with questions about her magical theories. "Could you imagine the possibilities of such devices? Maybe if I can perfect this then ponies will stop treating me as though I might attack them at random."

I suddenly had to wonder if Celestia chose Twilight as her student based off her power, our because of her personality.

_Must remain polite, must remain polite._

"That's a load of crap," my mouth said automatically.

_Damn it_.

Both Luna and Rarity just gawked at me.

Well, I was already invested, might as well speak my mind. "You shouldn't have to do anything to color others' opinions of you. So long as you aren't hurting anything, just do what you want with your personal life. If others like you for it, then good for them, if they don't like what you do, then why should care what they think?"

Needless to say, I don't get along well with those that judge others based on external values.

Luna thought about that for a moment. "So you don't think I should pursue this research?"

I shook my head. "No, I think you should do it because you want to, not because you think it'll improve your standing."

Luna looked back at me with a relived sigh and a faint smile, "You speak to me as though I were any other pony. That is all I have ever wanted from my subjects since my return. I thank you, and I shall consider your words." Luna turned her attention to Rarity. "But I believe we are getting off topic for the purpose of this visit."

I mentally berated myself for allowing my brain to be so easily sidetracked. "Right, Rarity's lessons. You wrote that you're willing to teach her?"

"Correct. Celestia is taking the majority of the control over military matters, while I try to keep population as calm as possible. I imagine I'll have my work cut out for me later, but for the time being I have some free time."

"Alright then." I waved a hoof at Rarity, "Rarity here has a decent amount of talent in subtle magic, more specifically illusions. I'd like for you to teach her a little of what you know, starting with how to use illusions in combat, preferably on groups at a time. Then I'll let you take it from there."

Luna looked from me to Rarity, and adopted a truly wicked smile. "But of course, you'd be surprised what you can accomplish with a simple illusion."

Rarity shuffled uncomfortably from her corner of the room. It was a little hard to tell with her white coat, but I thought she might have turned a few shades paler under Luna's gaze.

I looked between Rarity and Luna. "Do you have a specific schedule in mind, or…"

"Just leave her with me. After we're done for today I'll tell her when I'm available next, and assuming you have no need of her, I'll see her then," Luna explained calmly.

I nodded my head, "Sounds like a plan." I got up to leave, "Rarity, I'll expect a report later today."

As I left the room Rarity, who hadn't made a sound during the entire discussion, still looked extremely uncomfortable at the prospect of being alone with Luna. Rarity sighed and visibly steeled herself in preparation for the lessons she was about to begin.

Rarity made great progress with her lessons with Luna. At the end of her first lesson she reported to me that Luna was helping her to control and fine tune the spells she already knew how to use. After two days of hard work Rarity could conjure an exact copy of herself in front of my desk. It was of such detail that I had to get within an inch of the image to be able to find any flaws in it. Unfortunately I chose the wrong Rarity and wound up pointing out what I thought were flaws on the real Rarity.

I got a nice hoof shaped bruise on the side of my muzzle for my trouble.

After this display she chose to take her talents to the sparing room to see how they would apply to combat.

The majority of her fights against my soldiers ended with her assailant kicking and bucking furiously at a patch of thin air several feet away from the actual Rarity. While her opponents would be busy trying to hurt a phantom, she would calmly press the end of her practice weapon against their throat, signaling a killing blow.

One pony from my battalion that I recognized as Blockade challenged Rarity after she had defeated several of his squad mates. Blockade showed a great sense of intelligence after the sparring began. Instead of just attacking what he thought was his target, he attacked with wide sweeps of his forelegs in the general direction of Rarity's starting position. Rarity was too focused on her spell to notice this new tactic and was knocked off balance by a sweeping leg, then thrown several feet by a buck when her illusion wavered. Before Blockade could claim victory, Rarity retaliated by enveloping Blockade's head in a pure white bubble through which the bystanders couldn't see or hear what he was experiencing.

He staggered around for several seconds, sinking his hooves into the white cloud, trying desperately to free himself. He eventually passed out and sunk to the ground as Rarity dispelled the white cloud, a small trickle of blood ran down the side of his head from his ear.

After I made sure that Blockade was going to be alright, I asked Rarity what exactly she had done.

"You don't recognize it?" she asked back. "It's the same spell I used on you before you assigned me to Luna's lessons. It's a simple overstimulation of sight and sounds, though I suppose I did overdo it a bit. But that buck hurt, and just look at my mane; it's going to take forever to get it right again."

I sighed at her bizarre fashionista priorities. Maybe it's just a guy thing but I just never got the importance of obsessing over looks, so long as I had hair on my head, I was happy.

Compared to Rarity, Twilight was simple to understand, pleasant even. While Rarity was busy with her lessons with Luna, I spent most of my free time tutoring Twilight in combat magic.

Twilight was so eager to learn new forms of magic that her first reaction whenever I presented a new spell to practice, was to dive into the mechanics of the spell before I even finished explaining it. The very first thing we went over, and the first thing any wizard is supposed to learn, was proper shields.

Twilight had evidently already learned some shielding basics in her studies, but not really seeing a purpose for it in her supposedly peaceful life, had never really pursued mastery of it.

Twilight could conjure a full dome shield with little difficulty. I extended my senses towards her first shield, and immediately saw a problem, it was brittle. It was a simple dome of unmoving force, no give or elasticity whatsoever. One well placed strike would shatter it.

I lectured her on the proper basics of shields. That shields needed to have some elasticity in them so that the transferred energy could travel through the shield and into the ground, otherwise the shield would be taking every bit of energy thrown at it, into itself.

"How is this?" Twilight asked as we stood in the same slightly scorched room as we had before. Twilight had conjured up a full dome shield with a distinctive purple tinge all around her.

I paced around the shield, probing it with my wizard senses, looking for any obvious weakpoints. I couldn't find anything obvious enough to spell disaster. The excellent result of a few hours hard work.

I gave Twilight an approving smile, "Not bad, not bad at all." I began to draw in my will. "Alright, hold on tight."

"Wait, what are you-" She was cut off when I loosed my simple force spell against her shield.

She was caught off guard and her shield nearly failed, but she managed to redouble her focus at the last second and hold off my spell.

She shot me a victory grin, "Is that all you've got?"

I grinned back, _Challenge accepted._

I rained wave after wave of kinetic energy against her shield, each blow becoming more and more focused as I tested the limits of her shield. To her credit, she held up extremely well against my onslaught. Twilight redirected the energy in her shield to the portions of the shield that would be affected, in order to more efficiently block my attacks without having to expend additional energy. That was extremely impressive, considering that I'd only taught her the basics behind shields. She understood and adapted to new forms of magic faster than any other magic user I've ever seen, myself included.

_Forget being a warden, give her a decade or two and she could be Senior Council material._

On my final hit I focused the full force of my attack into the space of a baseball at the base of the shield, then right before it hit I angled it directly upward, in the magical equivalent of an uppercut with the force of a runaway car.

Twilight's shield became a network of interconnecting cracks and then shattered at the blow. The vast majority of the energy from my attack bleed into the shield or was diverted into the open air, so when I finally managed to break it, the remaining force only pushed Twilight back a couple of feet.

With my challenge completed, I suddenly felt like I was a high school jock at a football victory party. I laughed and pranced around in a small circle. "Fear me, for I am Dresden, smasher of all that oppose me!"

Behind me Twilight collapsed to the floor, and buried her face in her hooves trying to stifle a fit of giggles. That brought my head back down from the clouds and back into my questionably stable self.

I stopped dancing and addressed Twilight, "Very well done, that was an extremely good shield."

She practically glowed at my complement.

Over the next several training sessions I began teaching Twilight how to use magic offensively. For obvious health reasons it would be unwise to have her practice these spells in sparring sessions, so we largely stuck to the smaller private practice rooms.

During one memorable session I was having Twilight refocus latent static electricity into a bolt of lightning to be shot at her targets. She had gotten the hang of it after her second try, but practice makes perfect, so I was having her continue the spell until she could perform it with minimal effort.

"Again," I told Twilight, as she hit another dummy with the lightning.

"Oh, come on Harry. I already know the spell, I-"

"Again, Twilight."

She sighed and drew together her will and the latent electrical energy around us into the horn on her head. She released her spell and sent a sizeable bolt of lightning directly at a wooden dummy, which promptly caught fire. The whole process took her about two or three seconds, which was one huge improvement to the massive twenty second fireball she pulled of a few days ago. Don't get me wrong, raw power is nice, but speed is better in most combat situations.

She turned back towards me. "Satisfied?"

I looked at her and got an idea that I thought would be funny.

_After all, she needs to learn to do these spells under stress._

I smiled at her, "Almost, just one more then we'll call it a day, I promise."

She grunted and rolled her eyes at me, then returned to her position to recast the spell. When she began drawing in the power, I silently creeped towards her. I got as close as I could to one of her ears without making a sound, and when she was just about to release the spell, I shouted, "BOO!" as loud as I could.

Twilight let out a shrill squeak and jumped a little into the air. The spell she was holding ready discharged in all directions, and a massive wave of static electricity washed over us both. When the energy dissipated, both Twilight and I looked like pony puff balls. Every single hair on both of our bodies was sticking straight out in every possible direction.

We took one look at each other and broke out into equally strong fits of laughter. Twilight was rolling over and over on the floor, laughing like a maniac. I simply collapsed into a heap and began laughing so hard, that I had difficulty breathing.

She really was one of a kind.

_Now that's a memory worth keeping_, I thought to myself as I sat behind the desk of my office that doubled as my classroom.

With all of the different training sessions eating up my time, I hadn't noticed that an entire week had gone by. I just sat behind my desk, brooding over how many questions I had that were left unanswered. I still remembered Celestia's initial letter to Twilight.

_She had promised that she would answer all of our questions when we got to Canterlot, and yet here we are a whole week later, and still no answers. How much more time do I have to waste?_

I wasn't really frustrated at Celestia, not just her anyway. I was mainly worried about my home. I had been gone for a little over a week and the Red Court were still going about their business back there. If the White Council fell before I got back, then I could probably consider Earth to be gone.

Without the White Council to keep things in check, then every supernatural predator that had seen the Council as a threat would go on a rampage. Humans would cease to be the openly dominant force on the planet, and everyone that I cared about would likely get eaten, or worse.

I had sent several letters to the Celestia, asking to set up a meet to go into more detail of my current predicament. But thus far I haven't gotten anything back. If I couldn't get anything out of Celestia soon, I was going to go to Luna during one of Rarity's lessons. I doubted Luna would have as many answers as her sister, but some is better than none.

At the same time, I couldn't really blame Celestia for not speaking with us, not entirely anyway. I mean she's a co-ruler of a land that is facing an entirely new threat. I imagine Celestia has had little to no down time since our arrival here. But that won't stop me from brooding over it.

Wizards have mastered the art of brooding.

It was during this scheduled brooding session that I got an urgent knock on the door.

I raised my voice so whoever was at the door could hear me. "Unless Twilight has started another fire, it can wait."

"Sir, I have a letter for you. It's marked as urgent," said the messenger, his voice slightly muffled through the door.

"From who?"

"It's from Princess Celestia herself."

That earned my full attention. Had Celestia finally set aside some time to answer the questions that were plaguing me?

"Come on in then," I called to the messenger.

The door opened, and a light blue pegasus entered the room. The pegasus wore a set of light chainmail barding, and the pentagram insignia on his chest piece marked him as one of my soldiers. Luna had ordered that those under my command were to bear the same mark on their armor as the mark on my flank.

I didn't have much of an opinion on the subject, as Michael was the one that spent the most time with the actual troops, but I will admit, it did make identifying my units much easier.

The messenger came up to my desk, and set Celestia's letter down upon it. He then moved to a corner of the room and waited patiently to see if I needed him to deliver a response.

I lifted the letter before me in a dark red nimbus, unfurled it, and began to read. My expression became harder as my eyes traveled down the page. This was not what I had hoped for, but it was progress at least.

"Soldier, come here!" I called to the messenger still waiting in the corner of the room.

"Yes sir?" he said as he made his way back to my desk.

"Send word to my team, I want them to meet me here immediately. Then after you've done that speak with Michael, tell him to round up the battalion. We need to be able to move out as soon as possible," I commanded the pegasus. I was a little surprised at the authority in my own voice.

He snapped to attention. "Yes sir. What should I tell them?"

I looked at the messenger and smiled. "You can tell them, that we've found a Red Court den."


	10. Chapter 10

**Flesh Masks: Chapter 10**

"I still don't see why we need the rest of the battalion. We can handle this on our own." Rainbow said from her seat in our chariot. She had to yell a little to be heard over the rushing air as our chariot sped along in the brisk night air. It was sometime in the afternoon before I had managed to get everypony on the move. Celestia's sun was setting in the distance and Luna's moon could be seen rising opposite it.

I shook my head at the headstrong pegasus, this had been the third time she'd voiced this complaint. "You want to just barge in the middle of Red Court den with an unknown number of hostiles, alone? You let me know how that turns out. Meanwhile the rest of us will play it smart."

"There's no need to take any chances with the resources at our disposal Ms. Dash," Michael lectured from his seat. "It would be an unnecessary risk to go by ourselves."

I prodded Twilight's side and fake-whispered loud enough that Rainbow could hear, "If you ask me, I think Rainbow just wants to hog all the glory. You think if she clears out the Red Court by herself, then they'd let her in the Wonderbolts?"

That earned me one of Rainbow's famous death glares while Twilight rolled her eyes at me, but couldn't quite hide her smile. Rainbow was about to offer her rebuttal when Applejack cut her off.

"Now ya'll just simmer down, and save it for later." Applejack turned her attention from Rainbow to me. "Would ya please explain to us what it is we're about to do? The only thing you said back at the castle was that we found some kinda den, and that we needed to get our gear."

The gear she spoke of was a rather impressive collection of armor and weaponry.

Applejack was sporting a set of thick steel barding, with chainmail under it all as a base protection, and several thick plates on top that covered the vast majority of her body. She also wore a thick open-faced helm to offer the best protection possible, while still allowing her to grab her lasso with her mouth. What stood out however were the two curling rams horns coming out of either side of the helmet. If she needed to, she could simply head-but a vampire to death, it probably wouldn't even be difficult with the weight behind her now. But the most bizarre addition to her gear was a replacement for her lasso. As it turns out there is a weaponized version of a lasso, but it's hardly ever used due to most soldiers not being familiar with what is essentially a farmer's tool. Applejack's lasso had been replaced with a long length of fairly simple chain, but with what looked like a miniature sickle attached to the very end.

_I am so very happy she's on my side._

I nodded my head and addressed the whole of my team. "Okay listen up, because I'm not repeating myself." They all stopped what they were doing and gave me their undivided attention. "Celestia has been busy the last couple of days investigating the disappearances around Manehattan. She's been pouring over random facts and various sightings to try to narrow down where the Red Court power is in this area. A little while ago she sent me a letter saying that several of her soldiers managed to track a few of them to what we believe to be their den on the outskirts of Manehattan. She has quarantined the area until we move in and clean them out."

"And by clean them out, you mean…" whispered Fluttershy, not wanting to complete the question.

Fluttershy wasn't garbed in any formal armor. Instead she was wearing an extremely thick linen outfit, with a large red cross on the back and several large pouches all over her to hold the various medical supplies she carried.

"I mean kill them, yes," I replied back. "Though that shouldn't be your focus, remember your sole objective is to grab any ponies that get hurt and move them out of harm's way. Try to help anypony you can, but your priority is this team. If one of us goes down, do whatever you can to get us out."

Fluttershy nodded, whispered a few words to herself, and then moved over to sit next to Michael and began sifting through her medical supplies. Michael put a golden hoof over her shoulder and whispered a few words of comfort, offering her that indefinable sense of tranquility that always emanated from the man.

Michael had special ordered a set of barding to best suit his fighting style, his armor was similar to Applejack's save for a few minor differences. Michael too wore chainmail as a base protection, but the metal plates over his body were a little smaller than Applejack's, thus allowing for easier movement at the expense of a little protection. The plates were white steel with a gold trimming that went well with his white coat and golden yellow mane and tail. His helmet was almost a direct copy of Applejack's minus the horns. On Michael's chest piece, and on the plates over his flank, were golden crosses that seemed to shine with a dull light despite there not being a nearby light source to offer that light. _Amoracchius_ was on his side in the sheath Rarity had made for him. The handle was within easy reach of his mouth while the open portion of the blade stuck up in the air.

"Do we know how many of them there are?" asked Rarity.

Rarity had shunned any of the standard armors offered to her altogether, and decided to craft her own set of fashionable robes. She wore a dark navy blue formfitting robe with several symbols embroidered on it. The symbol that was used most often was that of a light blue gem set inside of a yellow crescent moon, undoubtedly inspired by her teacher. The rest of the symbols were just outlines of various kinds of gems in various colors. I detected a subtle aura of power emanating from her robes. I made a mental note to ask her about that later.

I shook my head at Rarity, "No, we don't know how many we're dealing with." I turned around to see the five other chariots hauling the rest of my battalion, and the pegasi that flew in protective formations around them. "That's why we bring insurance."

I turned back around to take stock of the rest of my crew.

Rainbow was grumbling something, I'm fairly certain was supposed to be rude, in my general direction as she fidgeted with her gear. Rainbow was wearing a full suite of chainmail over her body and around each of her legs. On top of the mail, pieces of thick linen were placed in strategic places to serve as foundations to secure the various pieces of miscellaneous equipment. On her right foreleg, her crossbow was secured to the linen covered mail, while belts covered in crossbow bolts were wound around her chest so as to make reloading easier. She also wore a simple padded chainmail cap on her head. She didn't however have any metal plates on her, so as to keep her lightweight and agile.

Pinkie was in the corner of the chariot humming a soft tune as she ran a rag over that bizarre party cannon of hers.

_I don't think I've ever seen her even reload the thing._

I would've asked her how she got the thing to work, but I assumed any answer she'd give me would just leave me more confused. So for the sake of my continued sanity, I took it on faith that the party cannon made some kind of logical sense. I don't know how, it just did.

Pinkie was garbed in a set of light barding specifically designed to offer the maximum protection while not restricting movement. She wore a suit of chainmail similar to Rainbow's, but Pinkie's armor had several small steel plates placed in strategic spots. None of the plates came within a few inches of her joints, and the plates over her back, neck, and belly, were spaced slightly apart and woven together to be able to flex and bend with her body. She too wore a simple chainmail cap.

"You're being oddly quiet over there," I called to the pink party pony.

Pinkie stopped her humming and glanced up at me. "I'm just working on a new song. What kind of tune do you think would go best in the middle of a battle?"

"I don't know. I usually just laugh at, and insult my opponents," I responded.

"That doesn't sound very sporting," Rarity offered.

"It's not, but it breaks their concentration and makes me smile. So yay me." I smiled back at Rarity.

I had decided to avoid wearing any actual metal armor. This decision was made in part by a desire to remain lightweight, but was mostly made after my first attempt at lightning magic. I was experimenting with various forms of chainmail when I first showed Twilight how to channel lightning. After I'd collected some latent energy and shot a bolt of lightning from my horn, a large portion of that electricity ran from my horn and over my body, seeking the conductivity of the metal. I was left twitching on the floor for several minutes.

With my lesson learned I chose to wear a fairly simple brown overcoat in memory of my leather duster still in the chest at Twilight's library. The overcoat was made of the same extremely thick linen that comprised Fluttershy's outfit. It ran from a popped collar at my neck to down over my flank, with a slit for my tail to poke through. I had spent some time laying a few protective enchantments over it, but not much as my days were already pretty busy for me.

My mother's silver pentacle amulet dangled over my chest as I straightened my suit. I hadn't been able to channel magic through it as effectively as I could before, owing to the fact that any magic I released had to first go through my horn. But it was still the symbol of what I believed, so I took it with me everywhere.

Twilight, learning from my mistakes, had chosen to mimic my outfit, albeit with a different color scheme. Twilight's overcoat was a purple several shades darker than that of her fur. She had taken the extra fashion step and imprinted an image of her cutie mark over the patch of coat that covered her flank. She'd also imprinted the image of a silver pentacle on the fabric over her chest, in the same manner as the soldiers in my battalion. After she'd first shown me her new coat, I'd taken her aside and placed the same rudimentary protective enchantments on it that were on mine. She was eager to learn how to do this herself, but we had to focus on combat magic first.

Our chariot pitched forward as we begun our descent towards the outskirts of the bustling city of Manehattan.

"Alright get ready, we're touching down soon," Michael shouted over the sudden rush of air.

Everypony checked and double checked that their things were together and secured as we sped towards a cleared patch of ground near a rundown residential district. We landed within a minute after our descent.

Michael and I jumped out of the chariot before the others did and quickly surveyed the immediate area for threats. The others shambled out of the chariot and began looking warily around the darkened streets.

Applejack took a position so that she was between the ruined buildings and her friends. "Y'all see anything?"

Twilight shook her head, "Just a bunch of rundown buildings. I didn't realize Manehattan had slums."

"It's a big city. Big cities mean upper and lower classes, so that'd also mean upper and lower class housing," I mumbled to no one in particular. "I'd wager that the Red Court have been setting up here for the past week. Unfortunately this provides them plenty opportunities for an ambush."

"We should wait for the battalion then," Rarity chimed in.

Michael nodded, "Agreed."

We waited near our chariot for about five minutes as the rest of my battalion landed and disembarked their chariots. The thirty soldiers checked their gear then arranged in standard military formation before the eight of us.

I turned to address Michael. "What do you think, a steady sweep of the buildings?"

"Slow but effective, we should probably sweep the streets first. See if there are any obvious signs of the Red Court presence."

I nodded in response, "Sounds good." I took a quick look at the soldiers. "You should probably address them, they're more used to you."

Michael turned his attention to the battalion, and raised his voice so that they could hear him clearly. "We will be marching through the streets of the quarantined zone to search for any signs of the Red Court. Keep your eyes and ears alert, there are plenty of places for an ambush. Pegasi stay in the air above us and alert us to any enemy movement you see. Unicorns focus on detection and revealing spells. If they're hiding behind magic, I want to know. Then switch to shielding spells during combat. Understood?"

"Yes sir!" was their resounding response.

The pegasi immediately took to the air and began circling above us.

Rainbow was about to shoot off after them, but I stuck a hoof out to stop her. "Hold up Rainbow, we should stay together."

She grumbled a response and went back to stand among her friends.

Michael took the forefront position as we marched through the streets, his weapon drawn and eyes questing over everything. The earth ponies and unicorns of my battalion marched in a square formation behind him. The unicorns were all casting various shades of light into the buildings around us as they magically searched for our objective. My team and I marched in the center of the square, protected on all sides.

About half an hour of slow searching crawled by, and Rainbow was starting to lose her patience.

"This is taking forever!" Rainbow groaned. "Can't we just call them out in the open and get this over with?"

"Rainbow, they're hiding from us for a reason," Twilight responded. "If they thought they could win a straight up fight, they probably would've attacked by now. Right Harry?"

I nodded, "Yeah, but that doesn't explain why they haven't tried some kind of ambush yet. They generally can't resist an opportunity to attack when we're looking the other way. There are plenty of buildings here to jump from too. It's very odd."

"So that means that they probably have something planned. Perhaps a trap at a precise location of their design?" Rarity suggested.

I thought about that for a second. "That seems like something they'd do. Which means we should be on the lookout for something meant to draw us-"

A short high-pitched scream broke my concentration. It was close by, down one of the alleyways of the street we were on.

We hurried forward towards the source of the noise. Michael stopped in front of one the larger alleyways and the rest of us lined up behind him. Another short scream confirmed that this was the correct alleyway.

Rainbow flew up in the air. "Well what are we waiting for?" She shot forward towards the alleyway.

Twilight, Rarity, and about half of the other unicorns present seized Rainbow with their magic. The aura around her was a confused mess of colors.

"Rainbow, pause for a moment and look before you charge." Michael motioned down the darkened alleyway.

We could only see about fifty feet down the alleyway before it became too dark to make anything out. Along the sides of the alleyway floors were several grates leading down to the sewers below the streets. All in all it was a fairly typical, if a little creepy, alley. The only thing that was off was that the grates had been ripped out.

"I think we've found our trap," Twilight sighed.

"Just a little more effort to hide it would be nice," I responded. "They didn't even replace the sewer grates. I feel a little insulted."

Applejack stepped forward. "So what do you want to do? Just move forward as carefully as possible?"

"No. Even if we have superior numbers, they'd have every advantage in there," Michael answered. "Even with the help of the pegasi, the majority of us are ground locked and would be overrun."

I looked around the environment, trying to create a counter for their trap from the relatively paltry resources available. A quick look upward showed me exactly what I needed to do.

"Rainbow fly up and tell the other pegasi to come here," I instructed.

Rainbow flew off and Twilight turned towards me with an inquisitive look on her face. "Harry?"

I looked back at her with a wide grin on my face, "I've got a plan. Twilight, Applejack, and… you five, you're with me." I finished pointing at the five most heavily armored earth ponies of my battalion. "As for the rest of you, here's what I want you to do…"

* * *

Twilight and I walked slowly down the wide alley with its battered walls and shadowed rooftops. Our horns were aglow providing us with plenty of light to see by. Applejack and the five heavily armored earth ponies formed a protective ring around us.

"I hope you're sure about this plan of yours Harry," Twilight whispered form the corner of her mouth.

I flashed a quick grin, "Sure I'm sure. Besides think on the bright side, if this doesn't work at least we won't live to regret it."

"That's the bright side?" she shot back in an annoyed tone.

"Yeah beats the alternative of being captured and turned."

"Will y'all hush, we got company," Applejack whispered from ahead of us.

As we moved forward our light fell upon three dark figures. Their black leathery skin and white pointed teeth marked them as Red Court. The lead one, an earth pony by the looks of it, held up a clawed foreleg signaling us to stop. We slowed then came to a stop about twenty feet from the three creatures.

It tilted its head slightly and smiled, showing us every single one of its serrated teeth. It then spoke in a dry raspy voice. "You will go no further."

The soldiers with me held their ground and glared back at the vampire. Twilight and Applejack where completely taken aback by the vampire's ability to speak. They pawed at the ground nervously for a second or two, but steeled themselves and shot their collective glares forward.

"You intend to stop us vampire? If so then you're in for a world of hurt," I jeered at the lead vampire. It's always nice to show bravado at your enemies.

It just smiled even wider in response, a smile that was much too large for the face it was on. Then from the opened sewer grates around us, several more vampires appeared. There were a lot of them, a couple dozen at least. There was no clear favorite class of pony among them. They had about equal numbers of earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns.

_Hells bells, these things have been busy._

The sudden horde formed a ring around us about twenty feet away, easy jumping distance for a vampire.

The lead vampire spoke again, in that same disturbing raspy voice. "I will offer this just once. Surrender and you will be spared. Join us and you will know strength that you have never experienced before."

I rubbed a hoof under my chin, "Tempting, very tempting. How about this for a counteroffer." I spun around and shook my flank in its general direction. "How about you bite me, Count Chocula."

It snarled in response and then roared, "Kill them! Feast on their blood!"

As one all the other vampires present leapt at us, closing the distance to us with supernatural speed. Time slowed as adrenaline hit my system and I refocused on carrying out my plan.

_Ten feet away._

_Eight feet._

Their claws and teeth were at full extension, ready to rip and tear us to pieces.

_Six feet._

When they were about five feet away from us, the entirety of their group slammed face first into an invisible wall of force.

As they hit our shield, the impact caused it to lose its transparency and revealed a full dome of energy all around us. The dome was a swirling mix of red and purple energies, as it was being powered by both Twilight and me. We had that shield up since we first put a hoof in that alley. The shield was an incredibly complicated working of Twilight's design. It took us almost a full minute to get it set up in the first place. But once we had it up, it was the magical equivalent of an adamantium bunker. Nothing was getting through it.

The vampires began hammering against the shield, trying to wear it down. Beads of sweat began forming on our faces as the strain of supporting the shield grew.

_Just a little more… Just a little closer…_

I wanted them focused on us, and swarming over one target. Only when the couple of dozen vampires were hammering on nearly every square inch of the dome, did I call out.

"Now!" I screamed.

The shadows covering the rooftops abruptly fell away, revealing the rest of my battalion, Michael, and Twilight's friends.

Rarity slumped over, exhausted from the effort of maintaining the relatively simple, but nonetheless massive veil.

The purpose of a veil like Rarity's was simply to hide those under it from prying eyes. This can be done many ways, you can simply make those under it invisible, or I've seen a veil that didn't actually hide those under it but instead made them too boring to notice. Rarity had chosen to conjure up and move around dense clouds of shadows to hide the battalion. A trick I assumed came from Luna.

It wasn't a particularly great veil. Before she lifted it I could've squint my eyes and made out the vague pony shapes within. But then again the value was in the deception of the veil, which is to say prevent them from noticing in the first place. Only the best veils can survive focused scrutiny. This was what Rarity pulled of perfectly.

"I challenge you creatures of shadow, those that prey on the innocent! I bid thee come forth and face Judgment!" Michael roared, several times louder than he should've been able to do.

A blinding white light emanated from _Amoracchius _as Michael drew it from its sheath. While the light was annoying enough for me and my eyes, but it did far worse to the vampires. The vampires screamed and bumped into each other as they tried to move away from the very literal force of concentrated faith. What looked like moderate to severe sunburns appearing on their leathery skin.

I've never fully understood how the swords of the Cross are supposed to work, but I had a basic idea. From what I've seen, the power behind the swords is meant to level the playing field. To turn any conflict against a normally supernaturally powerful enemy, into a simple match of wills and skill.

Michael and the others leapt from the rooftops on either side of the alley and now surrounded the thoroughly shaken vampires. Michael and the others hit the outside of the ring of vampires while Twilight and I dropped our shield and we began attacking from the inside. Things got very bloody very fast.

I've yet to meet a supernatural baddie that can stand against Michael on one of his good days. Michael began tearing through the vampires, cutting them down as quickly as they presented themselves. As each vampire fell before him their bodies would be consumed by silver white flames that originated wherever _Amoracchius _struck.

Crossbow bolts began buzzing through the air as Rainbow and the majority of the other pegasi took to the air directly above us. They would place their shoots carefully, so as not to harm any of the good guys. Occasionally a vampire pegasus would get the clever idea that they should fly up and attack the archers in close range. Whenever this happened all the archers would immediately focus on the new target and force it to land by punching holes in their bat like wings.

It was their task to cripple any vampires they could and to ensure that none of them escaped.

The vampires had begun to regain a sense of control and had begun to fight back. Three of them had forced a unicorn apart from the group. One of the vampires leapt forward and drew blood as it ran its claws over the unicorn's side and right foreleg. The soldier used some basic magic and retaliated, managing to drive it back a little. But he was wounded and lamed, he wasn't going to last.

"_FOZARE_!" I drove a column of energy about the size and weight of my first car, straight down onto the three vampires. Every single one of their legs shattered under the sudden and intense force, and their bodies were forced into a small crater in the pavement. Even if they were still alive, they weren't going to be doing anything anytime soon.

The soldier gave me a quick smile before he collapsed into unconsciousness. Fluttershy rushed over and began preliminary medicine, just making sure that he didn't bleed out. Despite the tears streaming down her face, Fluttershy worked with a practiced speed and precision. She quickly bandaged his wounds and applied pressure to stop the bleeding.

While Fluttershy was busy with her patient, a vampire pegasus leapt from the crowd and sped straight at her. Its claws extended in anticipation of the coming meal. I was about to knock it out of the air, but I needn't have bothered.

About midway of the vampire's leap, a sickle on the end of a chain came out of nowhere and buried itself in the creature's sternum. With a simple flick of her head, Applejack slid the sickle down the entirety of the front of the vampire's body, opening it like a demented lunchbox.

Words cannot describe how messy that was. Suffice it to say, I probably wasn't going to be eating anything for a while, or maybe ever.

Applejack, Twilight, and the five other walking tanks I'd picked out had punched a hole through the vampires. They had rejoined our main force and strengthened the ring of ponies currently encircling the remaining vampires.

With our circle of soldiers completed and the vampires trapped, Twilight and I began about our jobs.

I began casually tossing fireball after fireball up into the air, then back down into the center of the amassed vampires. The screams and flailing of their burning comrades did wonders for disorienting and confusing those on the outer edge of the group.

I am not always a nice guy, heck I'm probably not even always sane. As I rained down fire onto the vampires and heard them scream as they burned, I didn't feel revulsion or joy. I just felt a cold satisfaction.

Twilight began using force magic in a simple, but effective strategy. She brought down a hammer of force onto the heads of random vampires on the outer edge of the group. While they were nice and disoriented, she would shoot a blast of force coming from behind the dazed vampire, and knock it forward into the waiting hooves of my soldiers.

Applejack was under similar instructions. Her chained lasso could often be seen diving into the group and dragging out whatever unlucky vampire it connected with. A few of the vampires she'd caught had fought against her, and with their superior strength they probably would've won. Whenever this happened the ponies around Applejack would grab the chain and add their strength to the tug of war. Against that much raw strength the caught vampire could only scramble helplessly as it was dragged into the crowd of angry soldiers.

My battalion worked incredibly well together. The vampires were being distracted by the constant downpour of bolts and fire from above, leaving plenty of openings for the ground troops to attack. Whenever a vampire would look the wrong way or lunge forward at the wrong time, at least two soldiers were there to take advantage of the vampire's mistake.

One vampire unicorn used its magic and seized one of the unicorn mares of my battalion, dragging her towards the trapped group. Fortunately for her, she was both heavily armored and had a brain. Instead of fighting against the telekinetic grip she jumped forward, adding to her forward momentum. Before the vampire realized what went wrong, she had charged forward and driven her horn as far as it could go into the thing's chest. It screamed in agony as it released her. The vampires around their wounded comrade whirled on the nearby unicorn and pounced.

Again she showed incredible intellect as she immediately back pedaled away from her attackers. The vampires managed to land a few claws on her armor, but only scratched it. Furious at seeing their prey escaping, they chased after her. They had evidently completely forgotten about the solid line of soldiers encircling them only a few feet away. As the small group of vampires made nice fat targets of themselves, the soldiers decided to remind them of their presence with as many thrusts of spears and stomps of hooves as necessary.

As the fight raged on we were making quick work of the vampires, but we began sustaining injuries too. Whenever one of my battalion would take a crippling hit, all of the unicorns in the immediate area would lash out with simple force magic, driving the vampires back several feet. Then several ponies would move forward until they formed a line between their wounded friend and the vampires.

Fluttershy would then charge in to the wounded soldier, seize them with her teeth, and pull them out of the field of battle. After the wounded were removed, the battalion would resume its previous formation of a slowly constricting circle around the vampires.

From the mouth of the alleyway I heard a scrambling commotion. I turned to see about a dozen vampire reinforcements charging at the exposed backs of my soldiers

_Crap! The battalion is too focused on the main group to fight on two fronts. I need time._

Ceasing my rain of fire on the main group I turned towards the flanking force.

"_FUEGO_!" I roared and sent a massive fireball at the reinforcements.

Most of them stopped just short of where the fireball hit, so that only a few were now burning alive. The rest had begun edging around the bonfire I had created.

"Pegasi, Rarity, Pinkie buy us some time!" I screamed and pointed at the vampire reinforcements.

At once the pegasi shifted their focus and began raining down crippling bolts into the vampires I had pointed out.

Rarity pulled herself together from her exhaustion and walked down the length of the wall. As soon as she got close enough she began performing that same sensory overload spell she did on me, but on about five different targets at the same time.

The affected vampires began frantically clawing at their eyes and ears, trying to stop the intense lights and sounds. Or at least that's what I assume they were doing as I couldn't actually see their faces behind the effects of Rarity's spell.

Rarity was now drenched in sweat and was barely standing on her vantage point. The veil needed to spring this trap and the illusions she was now casting on multiple targets was pushing her to her limits. She wouldn't be able to hold her magic together for much longer.

**BKOOOM!**

An explosion rang from on the roof behind me. I turned in time to see that Pinkie had loaded herself into her party cannon and fired. She was now flying through the air at the vampire reinforcements, and was somehow hefting a massive pink hammer in her forelegs.

I have no idea where she got that freaking hammer. I didn't assign it to her and she didn't have it with her on the chariot. I'm not going to even try to think about where she was keeping it, my brain would explode.

Pinkie brought down her ridiculously oversized hammer directly onto the head of one of the vampire ponies. A small wave of impact knocked back the nearby vampires as Pinkie's first target shuddered once under the hammer, and then went bonelessly limp.

Loudly humming a tune that sounded oddly similar to, Ride of the Valkyries, Pinkie brought her weapon to bear and advanced on the remaining vampires. Don't ask me how but she was managing to hold the weapon in the hooves of her forelegs while balancing and moving perfectly on her hind legs.

Pinkie went to work smashing her way through the creatures while they tried to fight back, tried being the operative word. Pinkie was using her Pinkie Sense to the best of her abilities as she dodged and weaved around each bite or swipe of a claw. After each dodge she would respond with an attack of her own, and her attacks usually resulted in the sickening crack of snapping bones.

A few times Pinkie just moved a little too slow to completely evade an attack. Pinkie took one nasty looking swipe to her ribs, but the armor took most of the damage and would only leave her with a bruise. Pinkie answered this discomfort by smashing her hammer into the perpetrator's mouth, when she pulled the hammer away several broken teeth followed it.

This had left her back wide open however, and one of the other vampires not being harassed by the crossbow bolt rainstorm moved forward to attack. By the time Pinkie had removed her hammer from the creature's mouth, its friend was already upon her. Its forelegs stretched wide and claws gleaming as they swooped down at the pink mare. Pinkie's reflexes were nice, but it was just too close and its reach was too long.

Before the blow could land the multicolored blur that is Rainbow Dash streaked out of the heavens and tackled the vampire to the ground. While it was still dazed at the sudden taste of pavement, Rainbow placed the hoof with her crossbow at the base of its skull and fired. The bolt went into the back of its head, and cleanly severed its spinal cord.

Without a word she nodded to Pinkie and sped off to rejoin the other pegasi.

I had told Pinkie to wait on the roof and to use her cannon if things went south. While I suppose technically she did use the cannon, I was still going to have a talk with her later about putting herself in unnecessary danger.

With the reinforcements delayed, I returned my attention to the main battle. What was left of the main vampire force had lost all manner of self-control and had thrown themselves at more or less random targets. This suited the battalion just fine.

With their severely depleted numbers the vampires were now outnumbered four to one. The heavily armored ponies stood in front so that they were the ones the vampires focused on. With the vampires focused on trying to get past the armor of the first pony, three others would come up behind the vampire and finish the job.

The fighting was winding down as the last of the main force died. Michael stood in the center of what was the vampires' last stand, covered from head to hoof in black gore. _Amoracchius _still glowed with that pure white light as Michael searched for any more Red Court in the immediate area. I moved towards the battalion as Michael shook his blade clean of blood.

I pointed a hoof at a nearby unicorn stallion in light barding, "Soldier, how is everypony? How many wounded?" I paused for a moment, "How many dead?"

He turned to me, saluted, and began his report. "We have several wounded sir, some of them severely hurt." He gestured towards a line of injured soldiers against one wall. Fluttershy was moving between each of them fast enough that she was a pink and yellow blur as she moved. She was busy applying bandages, resetting bones, and otherwise just offering as much help as she was able. "But miraculously no fatalities, at least not yet, some the worse cases might not make it."

I smiled, "And if Fluttershy has her way, there won't be any."

This was my battalion's first real contact with the Red Court, and we had managed to get through it relatively unscathed. I didn't know what I should thank for that, the fighting skill of my soldiers, the relatively new cannon-fodder vampires, or Michael's vampire hindering white light. Whatever the reason we made it through.

I turned again to the soldier. "Take five ponies with some medical training and have them help Fluttershy however they can. Then take the rest of the battalion and go clean up the last of their reinforcements." I pointed down to the mouth of the alley where the last of the vampires were either being turned into vampire pincushions by the pegasi, or else being reduced to a goey paste by Pinkie's hammer.

He snapped to attention and began carrying out my orders at once. Five random ponies moved over to assist Fluttershy. Somewhere in the intensity of the combat, and the sudden large number of patients she had to care for, Fluttershy's demeanor had pulled a complete one-eighty.

"Take these bandages and wrap those wounds before they get infected!" she yelled at one her new helpers.

The assistant in question wavered for a moment. "B-but I-"

"NOW!" Fluttershy barked at him. Her face had taken on a truly frightening appearance.

_Oh dear, I think I broke Fluttershy._

"I-if you don't mind…" she murmured, back in her usual tone.

_Ah there she is, good._

Michael and the rest of the battalion ran off to assist Pinkie and the pegasi with the last little bits of resistance.

By this time Applejack and Twilight walked up to me to see how they could help. Twilight was severely shaken, but still retained that fire in her eyes she had whenever she wanted to help.

While Applejack was a force to be reckoned with in the heat of battle, now that it was over she looked like she was about to be sick. She hung her head low and couldn't stop staring at her bloodstained weapon. There was a definite greenish tinge to her face.

Before they could say anything, I moved between them and put a hoof over both of them. "You both did an incredible job today. You helped save a lot of lives, and avenged those that we couldn't." Applejack held her head a little higher at that. "Now I want both of you to go watch over Fluttershy. She could probably use a friendly face."

"Thank ya Dresden," whispered Applejack before she turned and hurried over to Fluttershy.

Another small cry for help rang down the alley. I turned and saw what was probably the backdoor for a house's storage shed.

_So those cries actually were hostages? I guess nothing beats authenticity._

I turned back towards Twilight, who had clearly noticed the cry as well. "Twilight you go too, I'll take care of whoever's in there." I motioned her over towards Fluttershy.

She did not like this idea. "But they need help. I can-"

"Go and help Fluttershy," I cut her off. "The Red Court's gone for now. I can handle a few spooked ponies."

I grinned and raced off down to the shed. I left Twilight to glance between her friends and me, her eyes narrowed in thought.  
I raced up to the shed door, and with more flair than was called for, bucked it open and jumped inside. I surveyed the room quickly and found four hostages in the room, three were tied around a central support post while the forth was unconscious on the floor next to the door.

"Never fear, your friendly neighborhood warden is here," I said as I moved over to the tied up ponies. I bent low and began trying to untie the knots with magic. "Don't you worry, you're safe now. I'll have you out of here in a jiffy."

The bound and gagged pony before me shook her head violently to get my attention. I looked up and saw that her eyes were wide with terror and her pupils had shrunk to the size of pinpricks. She looked intently at me, then to the prisoner behind me, and then back at me.

_Oh, buck me._

I turned in time to get a face full of pissed off vampire. The thing had torn itself free of its hostage flesh mask, and was now doing it's very best to slice me into deli meat.

Its initial leap gave it a little too much forward momentum and it could only rake its claws at me as it flew past. One set of claws raked across my back, but the protection spells I'd put in my overcoat prevented them from cutting me, my face was not so lucky.

The left side of my face felt like it had burst into flames as three long gashes appeared on it. Two of its claws cut along the left side of my muzzle, while the third cut a line just above my left eye.

Blood quickly began pouring from the wounds and down my face, forcing me to keep my left eye shut.

The vampire landed and pounced at me again, moving much faster than the vampires outside. I had barely enough time to stagger back a step and call up a simple shield around me.

My horn is great as a magical focus, it really is. I would go even as far to say that it's better than my staff or blasting rod for working magic. Magic flows through it so naturally and easily that I barely have to think about channeling it, and can focus most of my attention on my spell. And it can't be knocked away from me, not easily anyway. But the one crucial piece of my arsenal it doesn't replace would be my shield bracelet.

With my shield bracelet all I had to do was pump power into it and then imagine the shape of the shield I wanted. The design of the bracelet would take care of the rest, like how the energies weaved together and how I wanted the impact energy to be dispersed. Without it I had to do all of that in my head. I had to judge how much elasticity to give it, and exactly how I wanted the energy to flow through it. Creating a proper shield this way takes time, which is exactly what I did not have at the moment.

The vampire landed on me and forced me to the ground on my back. The shield I held was maybe a foot away from my flesh. It was a pitiful rickety thing, and was the best I could throw together in the half second I had to create one from scratch. I poured as much power as I could grab into it, but it bled energy almost as fast as I could pump it in.

The vampire began hammering blow after blow into my shield. Sparks flew as power left my shield with each blow and its claws slowly inched closer and closer to me.

I began working the machinations of a force spell to shoot the vampire of me. I hadn't yet figured out how to cast two simultaneous spells through the one horn, so I'd have to cast it when my shield fell. I just hoped I could pull it off before those claws could rip out my throat.

_If I survive this, I'm making a shield ornament for my horn._

"You are the warden that chased us through the Nevernever? I am not impressed," the vampire growled with its raspy voice, and punctuated every few words with another blow of its claws. "The master said you were supposed to be powerful."

"You, you were one of the three I chased here?" I gasped, struggling to maintain my shield.

It leaned closer, baring its fangs. "Indeed warden and I thank you for bringing us here. This land will make a fine kingdom for the new Red King."

"Who is he? Who is your master?" I screamed back. Sweat was drenching my face from the exertion for maintaining the now wavering shield.

"You don't know?" It chuckled and raised both clawed forelegs for the final blow to destroy my shield. "Die confused then!"

"**GET OFF HIM!**"

A lance of purple energy as thick around as my chest slammed into the vampire and shot him clean through the far wall of the shed, and into the adjacent building.

I looked over and saw Twilight bursting through the door at a full gallop, a look of utmost fury on her face. Another spell began forming around her horn as she surveyed the vampire shaped hole in the wall. She slowed and cautiously made her way over to stand by me.

The vampire burst through the same hole it'd made earlier and pounced at her, but she was ready. The instant she had a target, she let loose a fireball just one step down from the one she made in her first day at training. It made contact with the vampire and knocked him back through that same hole, but this time with an accompanying detonation as the vampire hit a wall and the fireball incinerated everything around it. The thing never even got the chance to scream before it was reduced to ash.

Twilight turned back to me and looked horrified as she saw the blood all over my face. "Oh Celestia, you're hurt!"

I shambled back onto all four hooves. "I'm fine, I'm fine. It's a bleeder, looks worse than it actually is." I glared at her with my one open eye. "I thought I told you to go help Fluttershy."

Twilight smiled at me, content that I was no longer in immediate danger. "And I thought you were supposed to be the smasher of all that oppose you. Besides between you and Fluttershy, you looked more helpless."

"I had it right where I wanted it, thank you very much."

She smirked at me, "You wanted it to bash your head in?"

"I was getting it to talk. I was collecting useful information, and I-"

I was cut off by a loud coughing from the center of the room. The hostages were giving both us that annoyed "could you hurry it up" look.

"Oh right, sorry," I said as I walked over and began undoing their bonds.

As soon as they were free of their bonds, they rushed at us and embraced us both. All three of them gave a constant stream of "thank you" and "what the hay were those things?"

"Calm down, hey down girl! Calm down!" I roared and stomped my hoof. That got the hostages to stop talking and gave me their attention. "Good. Now I know you have a lot of questions, but right now you need to go outside and speak with one of the soldiers there. You will be debriefed and sent home as soon as possible, I promise."

They each gave us one last "thank you" and ran outside.

I turned around and began rummaging through a nearby pile of trinkets.

"Uh Harry, what are you doing?" Twilight asked.

"Looking for information, if the Red Court was setting up here there might be something that can tell us what their plans are." I looked around to face Twilight. "And since you're already here why don't you help out. Just look for anything out of the ordinary."

She nodded and we began scouring the shed for information.

Not one minute later, Twilight spoke up from the opposite side of the room. "H-Harry…"

"Find something?"

She didn't say anything. I hurried over and found what had left her speechless. Bodies, around nine or ten of them, were piled in a corner of the shed, stallions, mares, and… and foals.

_Children… These monsters had hurt children!_

A red hot fury built behind my eyes at this sight. I wanted to take a vampire, pin it to the floor, and burn it alive, slowly. I wanted them to suffer. I wanted them all to die. I needed them all to die for what they've done.

"Harry?" said a worried voice behind me.

I turned and saw Twilight looking at me with worried eyes. She spoke as though concerned for me, and not the atrocity before us. I looked down at myself and saw why. In my fury I had begun to gather power, a lot of it. Smoke had begun to rise from my fur and a strong smell of smoke pervaded the room.

I tore my eyes away from the corpses, and took several deep breaths to steady myself.

When I regained control over my emotions I returned my gaze to the bodies and began searching for anything out of the ordinary. Almost immediately I noticed something, their cutie marks were gone, all of them were. At this discovery I probed the bodies with my wizard senses, and felt only cold.

"Twilight," I spoke in a cold and detached voice, "do cutie marks vanish upon death?"

"N-no, they don't. I've never heard or read anything about what could make a cutie mark disappear." Her voice was faint, almost a whisper.

I sighed. "I was afraid of that."

"Why?"

"Because that means that magic did this. Focus your senses on them, what do you feel?"

She did as I asked. Her horn glowed for a second as she concentrated. "Nothing, just cold."

I nodded, "Exactly. These bodies should still have lingering energy on them, probably a lot given the intense fear they must've experienced before they died. But they don't, not a scrap of energy."

She looked at me, unable to hold back tears any longer. "What could've done this?"

"I have no idea Twilight."

_But come hell or high water, I will find out, and I will tear it limb from limb._


	11. Chapter 11

**Flesh Masks: Chapter 11**

Our flight back to Canterlot was, for the most part, a quiet one.

Michael and the battalion had remained behind in Manehattan to do any last minute clean up and intelligence gathering. I had instructed that some of the odd bodies we'd found to be taken back to the castle on one of the soldiers' chariots for study. The foals were to be given a proper burial. While they were busy with that, I was taking a chariot ride with Twilight and her friends back to Canterlot castle.

Everypony there, with the exception of Fluttershy, had killed for the first time, or assisted in killing in Rarity's case. They sat silently as they contemplated how they were supposed to feel. They were all sitting in various spots of the chariot and nursing whatever bruises they'd accumulated. We'd all taken off our arms and armor and deposited them in the chariot's storage compartment.

The silence was only interrupted by Fluttershy fussing over the wounds in my face.

"Fluttershy I'm fine! Save your supplies, I don't need them." I tried to push away Fluttershy as she approached me with a towel and bandages.

"You're not fine. You're still bleeding," she responded. Her voice wavered, as though she was on the verge of tears.  
"It'll be okay. I've gone through much worse."

"B-but I…" her voice trailed off.

"Save the supplies for a real emergency Fluttershy."

"No!" she suddenly yelled at considerable volume, then huddled back down and hid behind her mane. "P-p-please, Harry… J-just let me help."

Then I got it. She didn't want to work on me for the sole purpose of healing my wounds. She just needed something to do, she needed to keep busy. Because if she sat still, then she'd start thinking about what she'd just been through.

I put a hoof on her shoulder to calm her. She stopped shuddering and looked up at my bloodied face.

"Alright fine, you can help me," I said in as soft a voice as I could manage. I then adopted a more jovial tone, "Though would you mind leaving the scars? Scars are awesome, don't you think?"

From a corner of the chariot Rainbow gave a weak laugh.

Fluttershy smiled up at me and began collecting her supplies again. "Thank you. Would you lie down, and try not to move please."

I complied and allowed the yellow pegasus to begin mopping up my face.

Though only a temporary solution, Fluttershy and her desire to keep busy did bring to light a new problem. Twilight and her friends had just gone through a traumatic experience. They were learning exactly what they were capable off, and in one of the worst possible ways. How they reacted over the next few hours would be crucial to how much of an impact this event would have.

While there was no way to avoid the coming emotional crisis, I could perhaps lessen that impact, and I had a decent idea on how to do it too.

"Hey Pinkie, what are you doing over there?" I said without moving my head.

Pinkie was curled into a little pink ball in a corner of the chariot. Her coat and mane were several shades darker than normal. She lifted her head to look at me at my words.

"Uh, nothing, just thinking about… stuff," she answered back.

"Well stop it, and come over here. I wanna ask you something."

She got up and shambled over to me. She curled up again near me and set her head close to mine so I could whisper to her.

I waited until Fluttershy left to get more supplies from her suit in the chariot's storage before I whispered my idea to Pinkie.  
"Are you sure Harry?" she asked me, her coat visibly lightening as she asked.

"Yeah, after we land in Canterlot run off and gather whatever you need. I'll get the others." I smiled back at her.

She smiled for the first time since leaving Manehattan. "Okie dokie lokie."

Pinkie bounced back to her corner of the chariot, her fur resuming its usual color. Just as she left Fluttershy came back with a new towel and a small white case. She poured water from a canteen onto the towel and resumed trying to stem the still slightly bleeding cuts.

"Hey girls, I need your attention for a moment." They all sat up and looked at me. Fluttershy's ears swiveled down to better hear me even as her eyes remained focused on my cuts.

"What is it Harry?" Twilight asked.

"When we get back to the castle I want you all to mee-eeaaAARGHH!" I screamed as Fluttershy poured alcohol over my open wounds. You'd think I'd been attacked again from my reaction.

I reflexively jumped to my hooves and did a ridiculous little dance as I flinched away from Fluttershy. Most of the mares started laughing a little, while Fluttershy shied away still holding the bottle of alcohol.

"I-I'm sorry, but I had to sterilize it before I could continue," Fluttershy whispered after she set the bottle down.

"Warn me next time!" I moved back over and lay down again so that Fluttershy could continue.

She moved back over to me and resumed sterilizing my cuts. Now that I knew it was coming, I didn't dare flinch or make any sounds of discomfort in front of the mares. It's a guy thing.

"Like I was saying, when we land I want you all to meet me in my room," I said to the mares.

"Whatever for?" Rarity asked.

I hesitated for a moment, "Call it, a meeting of the minds. I just want to have a talk with you all."

"It's a little late ain't it?" Applejack asked.

In truth, no it wasn't. The events in Manehattan, while traumatizing, didn't take very long. And we had landed there just when to moon started to rise. It couldn't be later than nine or ten at the latest. Still going through combat is tiring.

I heaved a sigh as Fluttershy mopped up the last of the blood and alcohol from my face. "I know that you all must be exhausted, but I still want you to meet me. It's important."

"Alright, if you say so," Applejack responded, and the rest of her friends gave their respective nods of agreement.

Fluttershy leaned in closer to examine my cuts. "These are too deep. They're going to need stitches."

_Wait, what?_

Fluttershy took out a curved needle and surgical thread from her med kit. She held the needle in the feathers of her wings as though they were fingers.

"Don't you think we should wait until we're on the ground first?" I said hopefully, a pleading smile appearing on my face.

She dipped the needle in some alcohol, sterilizing it. "The wounds are too large to just leave open. The longer we delay the more likely it is that they will get infected."

_Oh no, nononono. I've had enough sharp things in my face for one day._

During my mini-panic session I felt a soft hoof rubbing my shoulder. I looked up into Fluttershy's face, being careful not to make direct eye contact, lest I trigger another soulgaze.

"Please don't worry, I have very steady wings. You'll be alright."

Something in her calm voice and reassuring touch steadied my heart rate and relaxed my tense muscles. She reminds me a lot of Michael where it's important.

She continued to massage my shoulder as she approached my face. Despite her best efforts at calming me I couldn't help but get a little panicked as her needle came closer to my face.

A little voice piped up in the back of my head as I began a mental argument with myself. _Dude, calm down she knows what she's doing._

_Excuse me, but we're a couple hundred feet up in the air and she's about to play seamstress with my face!_

_Hey, you're the one that freaked out in front of the girls with the alcohol. Now this is your punishment, suck it up and earn some man points._

My thought processes, and consequently my introspective argument, were interrupted when Fluttershy's surgical needle finally pierced the tender flesh around my wounds.

_Why do these mares keep hurting me?_

* * *

"You are one tough pony, Dresden," Applejack complemented me, a slight chuckle in her voice.

I winced as I disembarked our chariot in the Canterlot castle grounds. Fluttershy's impromptu stitching session had lasted the remainder of the trip. She had finished the last stitch just as we began our descent. And true to her word, she made it a painless as possible. I managed to bite my lip and hold still through her work, but the areas around the cuts were now red and very sore.

"Remind me how tough I am the next time I decide to get my face cut open. Then maybe I'll decide to run instead," I shot back. Applejack smiled faintly, but the smile didn't go past her mouth. Her ears drooped and her eyes looked haunted.

Pinkie however bounced right up to me and practically pressed her face against mine. Personal space obviously means nothing to this mare.

"I'll see you in a bit Harry!" she said at full volume as though we were across a large room from each other and not a few millimeters apart. Then without a further word she zoomed off toward the castle.

Rainbow moved to hover above me, "What was that about?"

I smiled up at her, "You'll see in a moment." I turned to address the rest of my team. "Let's grab our gear and put it up in the armory before we do anything else."

"Couldn't we have the guards bring it in?" complained Rarity.

We probably could, but I needed to buy some time for Pinkie. "Do you want the guards to walk for you too, or chew your food?"

Rarity's face adopted a look of wonder. Undoubtedly fantasizing about a life where everything would be done for her.

"Don't answer that," I snapped before she could open her mouth to answer. "It's our gear, and it's not the guards' job to cater to our desires."

"Very well," she pouted.

"Commander!" called a deep male voice.

I turned and saw a golden armor clad pegasus flying towards me. It stopped in the air just in front of me.

He saluted quickly then gave his message. "Commander, Princess Celestia wishes for a debriefing on the situation in Manehattan."

_Oh finally! I can get some answers out of that tightlipped-_

I paused and looked back at the weary faces of my team. I let out a short sigh and said, "No."

"Commander?"

I faced the guard again. "No, I'm not seeing her tonight."

"But Commander… the princess-"

"Can wait until the morning," I interrupted him. "I have something else that needs my immediate attention. You can tell her that we'll speak with her over breakfast."

"Yes sir." He saluted again and sped back towards the castle.

Twilight walked over to stand beside me. "Harry, are you sure about that? If the princess wants to see you, then you need go see her."

I looked at her and smiled, "No Twilight, I don't. Like I told the guard, there's something else that needs my immediate attention. Besides, what's the point of having free will if we don't occasionally spit in the face of authority? Now come on, let's get our stuff."

We each unpacked our gear from the chariot's storage and made our way inside. I carried my overcoat and Pinkie's armor in a large bag over my back. We walked into the barracks and dropped all of our stuff on a table in the center of the main armory.

Applejack and Rainbow set their metal armor apart from the rest of our cloth equipment, and I set Pinkie's armor with down with theirs. Applejack visibly had to suppress a shudder as she touched her chained lasso and set it next to her armor. Her face adopted a sickly green tinge.

Rainbow seemed to be doing everything in her power to not be shaken by recent events, or at least to not show it. She strutted around like nothing was wrong at all, she smiled and continued to boast about her flying abilities. But that in itself was a clear indication that she was experiencing inner turmoil. You don't go through combat like we did for the first time and just walk out of it again without being changed. Not to mention that she was doing her best to avoid looking at her crossbow.

Rarity and Fluttershy had adopted a similar defense mechanism against their own demons. They had become noticeably more withdrawn over the last hour or so. This wasn't much of a change for Fluttershy, as this was her defense against most everything. But Rarity had barely said a word since we left Manehattan, and was decidedly avoiding eye contact with everypony. Even though she hadn't actually killed anything, she had been faced with creatures out of a nightmare. I could only assume that she was trying to figure out how such creatures could exist in her life.

Twilight however, was in the most danger of losing herself. The rest hadn't seen the bodies Twilight had found. They hadn't seen what happens when we're too late to save others. After Twilight set down her overcoat in the armory, I got a good look at her face. She was studying the coat but wasn't actually looking at it, her eyes were unfocused and her thoughts were drifting. I could see it in her eyes; she was being haunted by that shed, and what she found in it. She couldn't get the image out of her head, and if my personal experience is worth anything, she never would be able to forget it. No matter how much she might want to.

Before we left I placed a note on the metal armor telling the smith to repair any damages that were on them. With our gear stored away, we made our way up stairs to my quarters. I stopped outside and waited for the rest to catch up.

"Now can you tell us what the hay we're doing?" Applejack grunted.

I stepped away from my door, gestured a hoof towards it, and bowed my head. "After you."

She sighed opened my door, and was assaulted by a hyper active Pinkie and some loud music.

"Pinkie, I thought we agreed to keep it quiet!" I yelled over the music.

"Oh right, sorry!" She zoomed back inside and the music died down significantly.

We all made our way inside and stopped to look at the last minute party favors Pinkie had thrown together. There was a tray piled high with cupcakes on the floor next to my desk and two large barrels with faucets sat on the desk itself. On my bed was a sizeable collection of board games and something that looked like a stereo system was at the foot of my bed.

"Harry, what is this?" Applejack asked.

I cocked an eyebrow at her, "You're friends with Pinkie and you don't recognize a party when you see one?"

"We're not exactly in a partying mood harry," she responded.

I smiled at her and nodded, "I know, I know. But trust me, after what you've been through you need this, you all do." I raised my voice at the last few words. "Besides, Pinkie promised that we'd do a party soon. Now I'm collecting, right Pinkie?"

"Right!" she called through a mouth full of cupcake.

"Good." I walked over to the pile of board games and pulled out a chess board. "Now sit down, grab a cupcake, and help me find the pieces to this."

"This is what you brushed off Princess Celestia for?" asked Twilight.

I grinned at her, "Like I said, it's more important."

They grumbled amongst themselves for a bit before agreeing and sitting down in the middle of the room. Pinkie began passing around cupcakes and mugs of what looked like cider she got from the barrels. By the time everypony had one of each, I'd finally dug out the chess pieces and sat back down.

I challenged Pinkie first, as she was the most willing and I wanted a rematch after the several lost games during our first party. We set up the chess board and began playing. The others moved closer around the board and watched.

The party was beginning to have the desired effect. Through simple proximity and focusing on single objective, Twilight and her friends were forgetting about their troubles, at least momentarily. More importantly it was building their self-esteem for the coming crisis.

They even began laughing at my continuing failure in my game against Pinkie. A few times they would whisper some advice to me. Twilight's advice usually proved invaluable, Rainbow's and Applejack's on the other hoof, lead to my king getting surrounded by Pinkie's pieces.

"Oh come on!" Rainbow exclaimed from right above me after my king fell. "Where's that strategist we saw earlier?"

I held up my half empty mug. "Maybe he's at the bottom of this mug. Let me check." I tilted back the mug and downed the rest of the cider, as they began laughing. The mug was replaced with a full one almost instantly by Pinkie.

The laughter died down a bit quicker than usual and the mares began looking solemnly at each other again.

"You might as well ask. I can see the question on your faces," I said, my eyes flicking between each of them, stopping for a fraction of a second longer on Twilight.

They all looked shocked at my abruptness, and then began whispering to each other. I waited patiently for them to finish, sipping at my new mug of cider. After a minute they stopped and Applejack moved forward to speak.

"Harry, this… all of this business with the Red Court, the fighting, the…" She stopped midsentence, unable to complete the thought. She let out a quick sigh before she resumed. "Just, does it get any easier?"

I thought about my answer for a long moment. I could've lied and tried to assure them that everything would be alright. But I have a terrible poker face, and it would've been useless to try and lie to the Element of Honesty. So I went for the blunt truth.

"No," I said simply. "In fact it gets harder in a many respects."

That answer seemed to sap them of what little hope they had gained. I was about to speak again, but was cut off.

"But how do you live with it all?" Applejack shouted, tears beginning to flow from her eyes. "They were ponies once and we… and I…"

I put a hoof in the air to stop her, she paused and they all looked at me. "It helps if you don't think of them as ponies, because they aren't, not anymore. They have the same memories yes, but the pony they were, died a long time ago. They are simply monsters in a pony body."

"But what about when you can't tell them apart! I think about what we just did and all I see is the ponies they were, and what I did to them!" Applejack yelled, tears now flowing freely down her face and the entirety of her body had begun to shake violently.

The others had similar reactions. Fluttershy hid behind her mane and began shaking as well. Rainbow landed and just looked at her right hoof. Pinkie's colors drained from her and her mane deflated. Rarity lay down next to Fluttershy. And Twilight just froze in place, becoming a fuzzy purple statue. Her eyes unfocused as she went back to that shed.

I wasn't expecting this. I didn't think that the concept of this kind of violence would be so alien to them. Thus their psychological defense against such stress would be underdeveloped. It didn't change my answer however.

This situation was probably the single most depressing moment of my life. Seeing them all in the grips of psychological torment was enough to rip my heart to pieces. Despite all of this, I started laughing. I laughed a deep and genuine rolling laughter. I laughed at the sheer irony of the solution to their dilemma.

They all looked up at me in complete shock at my reaction. Even Twilight broke out of her waking nightmare to look over at me.

I moved my eyes over each of them, refocused my attention on Applejack, and smiled as warm a smile as I could. "Then, my dear Applejack, when the line between right and wrong starts to blur. Then you find a few friends, play a board game, and eat a cupcake." I levitated a cupcake over and placed it on the ground in front of her.

They just gaped at me, not understanding meaning.

I smiled calmly at them. "There is no shortage of nasty in my world, in the Nevernever, or even in this world. And if there is one thing that I have learned, it is this: You cannot fight my fight by yourself." I slumped over slightly, the burden of too many bad memories weighing me down. "I have been running from or fighting against a wide variety of monsters for most of my life. A moderately peaceful life like the ones you all have been enjoying has only been a distant dream for me. My life is full of bad memories of people that have been lost to creatures I'd been too slow to stop. Or even people that have become those creatures and I wind up having to kill those that I'm meant to protect."

They gasped at my words, Fluttershy even shuffled a little away from me.

I continued with my lecture. "I have become a bit calloused as a natural defense against most of it, but there are times when I have trouble separating the monsters from the victims. The best way to prevent yourself from going insane when this happens is to unload your worries with a few friends. I know your natural instinct in that situation is to try to figure it out yourself and to not make those you care about worry, but that is a mistake. It's a mistake that I've made a few times, and lives were destroyed because of it."

A whisper echoed in the back of my head, _Susan_. I hammered that memory back down. There was nothing more for me to say about her.

I shifted on my cushion and once again looked over them all. "The pain you're feeling is natural, good even. It reminds you that you're still capable of such emotions. But when it becomes too much to bear, just find a sympathetic ear." I paused for a moment before saying, ""And if any of you tell Michael a word of what I just said, I will deny it all."

They hesitated for a moment, and then as one began chuckling to each other.

"What, what's so funny?" I asked, glancing at each of them in turn.

Twilight smiled warmly at me, "It's just that, what you just said sounded a lot like one of our friendship reports to the princess."

I smiled back and adopted a very smug tone of voice, "Well I am full of surprises."

"Now with that attitude, I don't expect you have too many sympathetic ears back at home," Applejack teased, her tears had stopped and she was smiling at me. "What do you do in that case?"

I beamed and held up my mug, "Ah, in that case, I drink copious amounts of alcohol. Alcohol has this magical ability to make all my worries and fears drift away." I paused looking dreamily into the air. "Then it replaces them with new worries and fears like, liver failure and so on."

They roared with laughter and each took a swig from their respective mugs.

"Speaking of which, what is this?" I asked Pinkie. "It tastes like cider, but feels stronger." I had only just begun my second mug and my thoughts were already becoming fuzzy.

Instead of Pinkie, Applejack answered me. "That's probably because it is cider but stronger. I'd recognize this taste anywhere, this is my brother's personal cider brew. The princesses always buy a few barrels from him every cider season."

I took another heavy swig, and the dull throbbing of my stitches subsided. "Well next time you see him, give him my complements. This is delicious." I turned to face Pinkie. "Hey Pinkie would you get a game we could all play?"

She obliged by pulling out a box labeled Ponyopoly, and began setting it up. I snickered at the name but chose to ignore it, and enjoyed my cupcake.

We sat, ate, drank, and talked together. Their moods cheered up immensely as we played the board game and continued joking. Within fourty minutes Pinkie had owned almost half of the properties on the board, and Rainbow and I were in massive amounts of debt to her.

"Okay, I give up!" I cried out and threw my hooves in the air. I had just landed on one of her hotels and declared bankruptcy. "How are you thish good at whatever game you play?" My words slurred a bit as the fuzziness in my head grew.

"I don't know, I'm just lucky I guess," Pinkie answered back.

Rarity laughed and swayed slightly on the spot. "She almost always wins at party games. We think it has to do with her talent."

Twilight gave me a nudge with her hoof as she rolled the dice. "Hey Harry, we've told you plenty about us, but we don't really know much about you."

"Yeah, tell us about our master strategist commander," Rainbow teased.

"Do you have any family?" Twilight continued.

A little thrown off at the sudden personal questions, I hesitated for a bit.

_Aww, what the hay. Twilight's already saved my hide once, they deserved a few details._

I shook my head slightly. "There's not much to say about me personally. My mom died giving birth to me, and my dad died of an aneurism when I was six."

Applejack looked up and had a solemn expression on her face. She removed her Stetson and placed it over her chest. "I'm sorry Harry. I know how much that must hurt."

I shrugged my shoulders, "It's alright. Can't miss what you never had right? I never knew my mother, and I only have a few wisps of memories of my dad, so there's not much to be sad over."

Fluttershy didn't say a word. Instead she abandoned her Ponyopoly pieces and flew over to sit at my left to offer me some comfort. I didn't want it, but I couldn't turn her away either.

_Damn those adorable eyes._

At this point the game lay forgotten among the mares, wrapped up as they were in my history.

I took another long pull from my mug before continuing. "Anyway after my dad died I was adopted by a man named Justin DuMorne around the same time my magic started to awaken and… well… I don't really want to get into that right now. Let's just say it didn't end well."

_That was the understatement of the century. At least that mind bending psychopath won't be causing any more trouble._

"How old were you when you left Justin?" Fluttershy whispered.

"I was still just a kid going through school. The White Council, the group of wizards I work for back at home," I commented quickly. "They, uh… placed, yeah let's go with that. They placed me under the care of an old fart of a wizard named Ebenezar McCoy. We lived on a small country farm and he mentored me in magic until I left and started doing my own thing. I've been more or less on my own ever since."

Rainbow shot me a suspicious look. "What do you mean 'placed'?"

I shook my head once and looked at her. "It has to do with how I left DuMorne. It's something of a touchy subject."

She dropped the subject at that, but still shot me a few suspicious looks.

"What about this Ebenezar fella? You said ya'll lived on a farm?" Applejack asked.

I smiled at her, "Yeah, you'd probably like him. He's like you in a lot of ways actually. He's gruff, tough, and very straight forward. He hates dancing around an issue when he can just cut to the chase. Except he's, well…"

"A unicorn?" Twilight offered.

That sent me to laughing like a drunken idiot. The mental image of my old mentor Ebenezar McCoy, Senior Council member of the White Council, as a colorful unicorn popped into my head. It was just too much, even if I was in that exact situation. I just kept laughing and collapsed to the floor.

Pinkie hopped in between Fluttershy and me, and began laughing like a maniac as well. She evidently did not need an explanation to join in on the fun.

I pulled myself together after about a minute of sustained laughter. "Well I imagine he would be if he came here. But no, I meant to say that he's a human."

Twilight blushed slightly, "Sorry, sometimes I forget that you aren't a pony."

"Well he still sounds like a nice guy," Applejack commented.

I nodded, "Yeah, he's always had my back if I ever asked him. He was never as honest as you though, granted it's kind of hard to match the Element of Honesty."

Though she missed the full meaning of my words she did frown a bit, sensing the deeper meaning. My old mentor taught me a little of how to perform magic, but more importantly he taught me why I should perform magic. He taught me that magic I use comes from a mortal's emotions, from our lives. And thus that using magic to end a mortal's life is a perversion of that magic and a crime against nature.

But he'd been lying to me the entire time. Since day one he had been the White Council's appointed assassin called the Blackstaff. He had the council's permission to violate the very rules that he drilled into my head as he saw fit.

"Do you have any other family?" Twilight prodded.

I rubbed a hoof behind my head, "Not really. I don't have any grandparents that I know of. I do have a half-brother, Thomas Raith, but the relationship is a little complicated."

Rainbow zipped in front of me. "Whoa hold up, you have a brother and you haven't mentioned him before now?"

"You never asked," I said with a straight face.

They looked from me then to Twilight. Applejack let out a sigh and smiled. "Sweet Celestia, they're the same."

"What? What is it?" I was starting to get annoyed.

Twilight shook her head, "It's nothing Harry. They're just messing with us. Aren't you… Oh dear, I think Rarity is out of it."

We all turned and saw that the white unicorn was now fast asleep and drooling into the carpet. At some point the combination of magical overexertion and alcohol had taken its toll, and she had passed out.

I tried, and failed, to stifle a laugh. "Just leave her. We'll take care of her later."

Twilight turned back to face me. The worried expression on her face probably would've worked better if the alcohol wasn't making her eyes go out of focus. "What's wrong with your brother? Maybe I can help."

I shook my head, "He can't really be helped, Twilight."

"Of course we can help, what's his problem?"

"Well for one he's back in my world, but more importantly… because he has something of an inner demon."

Various forms of "What?" came at me from all angles.

I raised my hooves and nearly fell over backwards from the sudden dizziness, "Calm down and let me continue. I don't want to go into much detail, because they're his secrets to give. But I can say that fights against his demon every day of his life." I slouched a little, and felt a purple hoof pat me on the back. I smiled and continued, "I help him in any way I can, but there's not much I can do besides moral support."

"It must hurt not bein' able to help your brother," Applejack said. "I don't know what I'd do if Big Mac got hurt an' I couldn't help him."

I nodded my head, "It does suck." I crammed those painful feelings to the back of my mind. "But he's a tough guy I'm not worried about him." I felt a proud grin spread across my face. "Why I've even seen him charge into a group of reds and cut them to ribbons with his saber." I poked a hoof at Applejack. "I'll bet you can't hold a candle to my brother's skill."

She sat up straighter and frowned at me. "Oh yeah? Well I'll tell you what, the next scrap we get in I'll put down enough of them reds to put even your brother to shame." She smirked at me, "What do ya' think of that?"

Rainbow immediately butted heads with Applejack. "I think I'll bag enough of them to put both of you to shame. What do you think of that?"

Applejack shifted her focus to Rainbow. "I think you've got an awful big mouth and just one crossbow."

Twilight shifted next to me as Applejack and Rainbow got into a heated argument about the effectiveness of their weapons.

"You do lead an interesting life, don't you Harry?" she said.

"It never gets too boring." I smiled at her, "That's why I take my pleasure where I can get it." I downed the rest the rest of my mug, and the fuzziness in my head grew to high quality pain medication levels. "Speaking of which, I think I'm drunk enough to try dancing. Pinkie, would you turn up the music?"

Pinkie obliged and the room was filled with a dull bass beat. The rest of the night was a blur of laughter, dancing, talking, cupcakes, and many more mugs of Big Mac's cider.

The center of my room became the dance floor where Fluttershy, Pinkie, Twilight, and I bobbed in no particular rhythm to the music. Applejack and Rainbow started challenging each other to a variety of physical challenges like hoof wrestling and a cupcake eating contest. And Rarity kept drooling into the carpet. At some point Pinkie had instigated an all out cupcake food fight. When we ran out of ammunition we went back to laughing and dancing.

The last thing I remember is tripping over my own hooves and face planting into purple fur. Then my alcohol addled brain slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Light pierced through my eyelids and stabbed at my brain.

"Mmmmmmm… not ready… don't… fuzzy," I babbled to no one in general.

I lay on my side and tried to cover my face as best as I could with my forelegs, as I did the rest of my body began waking up as well. As my brain started registering various nerve endings, I noticed that a few things were off. One, I wasn't on my bed; whatever I was on wasn't anywhere near as comfy as that. Two, there was a sharp pain on the left side of my face that throbbed in time with my heart beat. And three, there was something moderately heavy on top of me.

Without moving my head I opened my eyes to try and make sense of what was going on.

_When did I get an orange pillow?_

Right in front of me, maybe two inches away was what looked like a massive orange fuzzy pillow. My confusion intensified as I saw the pillow rising and falling in time with a soft whinnying. It took my still addled brain a solid five count to make the necessary connections.

Applejack lay before me snoring a little with her back to me. Her tail twitched slightly above my head while she slept, her own head was down near the hooves of my hind legs. Without lifting it I angled my head to try and get a better idea of where I was. I saw that we were still in my room and lying in the center of my floor.

I looked a bit further down and saw Rainbow fast asleep and lying on my tail, preventing any movement in the appendage. The back of her head was nearly pressed against Applejack's face, while her body was curled up into a ball and positioned an inch or so away. Her free wing fumbled around in the air and she mumbled under her breath as she continued dreaming.

I finally tried lifting my head from the carpet, and immediately regretted it.

_Holy mother of… ohhhhh, my head!_

My vision blurred and started spinning. Pain surged through my head with every beat of my heart, and I was overcome with a strong feeling of nausea. I massaged my temples with my hooves to try and lessen the pain. And seeing as there were only ponies near me instead of garbage cans, I clamped my mouth shut and fought back any waves of sick. I did not want to re-experience my first, and last, high school party.

When the immediate effects of the hangover subsided, I raised my head to get a look at what was on top of me.

Twilight was resting her head and most of her upper body on my side as though I were a large cushion. Her forelegs were wrapped around my midsection and she wore a contented smile on her face as she slept.

Despite my most manly of men reactions to such acts of cuteness, I large portion of my brain abandoned all pretense and just went, _D'awwww._

I shifted a little, trying to wriggle out from her grip. Twilight groaned in protest at my attempts of freedom and tightened her forelegs around me.

"No… Smarty Pants, I've finally got you back," she mumbled under her breath and buried her face in my fur.

It took me several confused seconds to remember that she was referring to her childhood doll she told me about in Sugarcube Corner and not me. I continued looking around the room as my brain was finishing waking up.

Pinkie was lying on the floor behind and slightly above me. She was sprawled on her back with her hooves waving in the air above her. A small smile played on her face as she snored.

_Hells bells, she even giggles when she snores._

Rarity hadn't moved an inch from last night. She was sleeping in the exact same spot and position as she was when she lost consciousness. She was a good foot or two away from the rest of us.

I dimly realized that we were in the pony equivalent of a pile of sleeping dogs, of which I was in the center. Only Fluttershy seemed to have the presence of mind to collapse on the nearby bed.

Before I could figure out how to disentangle myself without waking the others, the door leading outside opened and Michael stepped into the room. He took a quick look around, taking note of the six sleeping mares.

He found me and cocked an eyebrow. "Well Harry I-"

"Shhhuussh," I cut him off, waving my forelegs around. I placed my hooves back over my throbbing head. "My hair hurts."

"You're covered in hair, Dresden, its called fur." Michael smiled warmly.

I looked back up at him, "I stand by what I said."

Something finally clunked into place in the back of my head. I only then realized the full awkwardness of my situation. I was on the floor of my room, surrounded by mares, one of which was on top of me, and we had all been drinking.

"Michael, I swear, nothing happened," I said desperately.

I began running through my memories of last night. Most of them were fairly whole and intact, but there was a massive empty spot in my memory just after I stopped dancing.

_Oh boy… did something happen last night?_

He smiled and shook his head. His body shook a little as he suppressed a chuckle. "I know nothing happened Harry. I got here just after you passed out."

_Oh thank you…_

"Rainbow said, and I quote, 'Just leave him. We'll take care of him later'." Michael looked over the mares again. "I see that didn't work out as planned."

I cast an eye over at the two barrels sitting on my desk. "Yeah, I think we may have overindulged in a particular drink." I twitched my head over at Twilight, who was still holding my liver in a death grip. "Would you give me some help here?"

Michael took one look at Twilight's grip and took a step back. "No thanks, I'm good. Marriage has taught me never to be the one to wake up a hung over woman. Besides you're their commanding officer."

_Oh you evil little…_

He flashed me a knowing smile. "When you get them all up and presentable, Celestia is waiting in the dining room." Michael turned and left my room, closing the door behind him.

I sighed and turned my attention back to Twilight. I carefully used my magic to separate her forelegs just far enough to let me slip out of her grip. Now freed from my new job as a pillow, I set Twilight on the ground as carefully as possible. Despite that, Twilight now had a definite frown on her face and her forelegs moved around, as though searching for her Smarty Pants.

I navigated over to my door with the intention of leaving to take a shower before I woke up the slumbering mares. Something on the nearby wall caught my eye as I made my way out though.

"Oh come on!" I grumbled loudly.

I turned back to Twilight and her friends and stamped a hoof hard into the ground. All of them abruptly shot up or either began grumbling and moving around.

I raised my voice so as to get them up even faster. "Come on, come on get up! Celestia wants us in the dining hall. But first things first, who punched a hole in my wall!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Flesh Masks Ch. 12**

"Ugh, Harry I'll take cleaning duty, guard detail, or you can even throw me at a bunch of the reds if you want to. Just please, no more parties like last night's," Twilight moaned as we walked down one of the castle's many corridors. "Honestly the vampires would be kinder to me than that cider."

I paused mid step to massage my temples while my head kept on stubbornly pounding away. "I'm right there with you Twilight. I don't think I've been this hung over since the time I first got in McCoy's secret stash."

"McCoy drinks?" Michael asked from behind me. "You never told me McCoy drinks."

"He's a Scotsman living in Missouri, of course he drinks." Another pang of pain mixed with nausea hit me. "How long is this supposed last?"

Applejack chuckled next to Michael, "Yeah that's everypony's reaction the first time with Big Mac's cider. It'll get easier, trust me."

I cast an annoyed glance at her, "I'm not talking to you, I'm still mad at you."

She looked a little hurt. "What'd I do?"

"You punched a hole in my wall!" I shot back.

"Bucked, I bucked a hole in your wall," she corrected. "Besides I only did that because Fluttershy started yelling that I wasn't strong enough to do it."

Fluttershy, who was walking well behind the group, squeaked at that. "I-I'm sorry, I don't remember yelling at you. I can't remember much after the Ponyopoly game."

Personally I was glad I was unconscious for that bit. The mental image of a drunk and yelling Fluttershy was a frightening one. It'd probably be as nasty as me going up against the entire Red Court solo, and with similar results.

"I don't remember much of anything I'm afraid," Rarity added.

Rainbow laughed from above her. "That's because you passed out first."

"Well excuse me if I'm not accustomed to alcohol, I don't normally drink," Rarity retorted.

"Will y'all simmer down!" Applejack yelled, and received many pained winces. "Now Harry, I am sorry about your wall. I will fix it right up as soon as I can."

I smiled back at her, "Appreciated. Now Michael, what is it that Celestia wants? I kind of doubt she just wants a pleasant breakfast."

"I debriefed her last night on the events in Manehattan, and to my knowledge there haven't been any recent developments with the vampires. So she's probably just looking for a status update with all of you." Michael swept his eyes over the entirety of the group, and then returned his gaze to me. "She also might be curious as to why you ignored her summons last night."

_Oh joy._

We walked the rest of the way to the dining hall in silence, or at least those of us with hangovers did. Michael and Applejack seemed perfectly content to converse about the perks and draw backs of their respective pieces of equipment the entire way there. They did this in loud carrying voices that were amplified further by the acoustics of the castle walls, and bounced right back into the pain centers of my brain.

Never before had I considered stress induced insanity a preferable alternative to alcohol.

We rounded the corner and the large wooden double doors that lead to the dining hall came into view. As we neared the doors they flew open, finally putting a stop to Applejack's and Michael's conversation. Princess Luna came through the open doors and stopped at the sight of us, with a slight surprised look on her face.

She regained her composure and lowered the hoof that had opened the doors. "Oh, there you all are. I was about to…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes locked onto me. "My goodness Dresden, what happened to your face?"

I ran a hoof over the three long claw marks on left side of my face. "It's nothing, a vampire wanted to give me a cuddle. It was all kinds of enthusiastic, but its execution left much to be desired."

Many of the mares behind me let out audible sighs.

Luna performed a facehoof worthy of Twilight. "You should've come to me straight away. I can fix that right up. There shouldn't even be a scar."

"Wait, you're going to do what now?" Before I could object any further, Luna's ethereal dark blue mane extended far past her head and brushed over my face.

An intense tingling sensation hit me as Luna's power sunk into the cuts and began knitting the torn flesh back together. It was extremely uncomfortable, it felt like a hundred ants were parading up and down the skin of my face, and there was… something else. Underneath the outward benevolence, intent, and magnitude of her power, there was a whisper of corruption. It was faint, I only barely felt it, but it was definitely there. A stain like that can only come from one place, and I was all too familiar with that kind of magic.

I unconsciously took step to the side, putting myself solidly between Luna and my new friends. As Luna finished with her spell and her mane fell away from me, I adopted an expressionless mask and stared directly at her.

"You… you're a warlock?" I asked, knowing full well that she was.

Michael breathed in sharply. Luna looked incredibly confused for a moment, but then appeared to guess at my meaning and hung her head slightly.

"What are you talking about? Princess Luna's a what?" Twilight asked behind me.

"A practitioner that has been corrupted by black magic," I answered without looking away from Luna.

Twilight shook her head, "That's just silly. Magic doesn't corrupt. It's simply a tool to be used by those with the ability to-"  
"No Twilight Sparkle, he speaks the truth," Luna cut her off.

"What?" Twilight looked bewildered and turned to me for an explanation.

"Twilight, what do you know about where magic comes from?" I asked.

"It comes from our life and emotions, that's why our magic is generally more powerful when we're feeling intense emotions."

I nodded, "Correct, but consider this. What would happen if you used magic to kill another sentient being similar to yourself, thereby turning your magic against its own origins?"

She looked shocked at that. "That would be horrible. Such a thing would be a-"

"Crime against nature, yes," I finished for her. "When you use magic to harm or subvert the will of a being similar to yourself, it corrupts you and makes it easier for you to consider doing worse things. Which in turns corrupts you further, it's a slippery slope," I faced Luna again. "This makes me wonder what it is that you did, Luna."

"Mind magic," she stated simply. "A thousand years ago, I was so jealous that everypony played and lived their lives under Celestia's sun, but only slept through my night. So I began using mind magic to force a few smaller towns to become nocturnal and live their lives at night." She breathed a heavy sigh. "They began to fight the compulsions I'd laid on them, and their minds couldn't handle the stress. Entire towns became paranoid to the point of insanity, and I had to lay new compulsions on them to keep them calm. But the more I used magic to twist their minds-"

I knew where this was going. "The more twisted you became," I finished.

Luna nodded, "Yes, I could feel myself becoming increasingly malevolent and cold hearted. At some point I stopped caring entirely, it was then that my mind had been lost and I became Nightmare Moon."

Several of the mares gasped behind me.

It was an interesting story, but there was one massive hole in it. "If that's true, then how are you fine now? From your story you sounded like you had lost yourself completely," I asked.

Luna turned to Twilight and her friends. "Why the Elements of Harmony saw to that." She gestured at Twilight, "When they released the Element's power on Nightmare Moon, my mind was restored to its previous state."

I gibbered a bit at that. "The Elements… repaired your mind?"

I didn't think such a thing was even possible. Generally by the time a warden comes in contact with a warlock, their minds are too far gone to be saved. If there was a way to repair a damaged mind, then who knows how many lives could be spared.

"Don't you have warlocks in your world? How do you help them?" Twilight asked me.

I sighed. "Yes, chasing down warlocks is one the wardens main duties. But there are no Elements of Harmony in my world, and there's no known way to repair a warlocks mind."

"So how do you help them?" she asked again.

I shook my head. "We don't, we execute them."

Several more gasps were heard at, followed by a suspicious Rainbow Dash. "How do you know so much about this?"

"Because I've dabbled in black magic myself," I said bluntly. "You all remember what I said about my adoptive parent Justin DuMorne right?"

"You told us that you had a falling out and ran away from him," Twilight answered.

"Only partial credit that time, I didn't run from him, I killed him." I received several shocked looks at this. "DuMorne adopted me and began to use mental magic to try and enslave me, to make me into his personal soldier. When I resisted he tried to kill me, so I killed him right back. But I did so with magic, so I became branded a warlock by the White Council."

"But you were just defending yourself!" Twilight exclaimed. "Why would the White Council call you a warlock?"

I nodded, "True, but I was still tainted by black magic, and the desire to use it again was still there. Truth be told it's still there today, but I've learned to control it a long time ago. The only reason the White Council didn't execute me was because McCoy saw that I hadn't yet been consumed by the black. He volunteered to support me and be my mentor." I turned my attention back to Luna. "Are warlocks much of a problem in Equestria?"

Luna shook her head. "Not really. There has been one or two since I've been gone, but all the knowledge required to perform that kind of magic was destroyed after I was banished."

That was good. I didn't want to think about the possibility of pony warlocks.

"What are you all up to?" Celestia said to us as she walked up behind Luna. She'd evidently gotten tired of waiting for us to finish our conversation.

Luna smiled up at her, "Just a history lesson sister." Luna turned back to us, "Come, and let's enjoy our breakfast."

We walked over and sat at more or less random seats at the table. Celestia and Luna sat at the opposite ends of the table while the rest of us filled up the seats in between. I looked down at my reflection in my silver plate to examine Luna's work. All three cuts had disappeared from my face, including Fluttershy's stitches. It was like they were never even there.

_Damn impressive for on the fly work._

"Well don't just sit there, dig in," Celestia said with a chuckle.

Without my noticing, several trays of a wide variety of vegetarian breakfast foods just appeared on the table before us. My stomach growled loudly at the sight of the food and I helped myself to a plate of whatever I could recognize. I decided to go for what looked like roasted and seasoned hay, it wasn't as good as Twilight's but it was a close second.

For almost half an hour we each just sat there enjoying the food Celestia's cooks had prepared for us. Celestia and Rarity adopted what I would consider a snobbish method of dining. They sat straight backed in their seats and levitated their food to their mouths before only taking dainty little sips or bites. The rest of us, including Twilight and Luna bizarrely, went for the more basic method of pony food consumption, which is to say we repeatedly slammed our faces into our food with varying degrees of mess. We occasionally broke away from eating to laugh at the messes on each others' faces. Luna even flicked a little bit of lettuce onto Rainbow's muzzle while she was sniffing around in her hay

Rarity glared at us with shocked disapproval, while Celestia chuckled at our antics.

When we had finished eating, and after Applejack had prevented Rainbow from starting a food war with Luna, Celestia decided to begin speaking.

Celestia waited for us to be silent before looking intently at me. "Mr. Dresden, I do recall writing in my original letter to you and Twilight that I would answer any questions you had. But if you will allow me, I'd like to ask you one first."

_About freaking time lady._

I slouched back in my seat, "Okay, shoot."

"Would you describe exactly how you came to Equestria? There might be important details that would have meant nothing to you at the time," she said.

I complied. I told her how I started out at the rock face in my world, opened a Way, chased the three vampires through the conjured fog, and then opened another Way into Equestria.

"Wait a moment," Luna interrupted me. "You ran through a thick fog? Can you describe it?"

I shrugged. "It was fog, thick, cloudy, couldn't see my feet fog. The only thing off about it was that it was packed with static, which just meant that it was a magical construct of the lead vampire's meant to throw us off their trail."

Luna shook her head. "I don't think so." She looked at her sister intently before returning her gaze to me. "I think you ran through the remnants of my wards around Equestria."

That earned my full attention. "You placed wards around Equestria?"

Luna nodded again, "Yes, as far as I know you two-" she pointed out Michael and me, "-and the three vampires you were chasing, are the first outsiders to pierce the veil around Equestria in over a millennia."

Michael and I exchanged glances as Luna went on.

"Celestia and I recognized the danger the denizens of the Nevernever posed to our little ponies. So before Nightmare Moon, I set up wards to prevent outsiders from coming here. They were supposed to hide Equestria rather than build a wall. You should've gone into the fog and popped right back out again. I suppose a thousand years of neglect has degraded my wards."

I was about to voice my extreme displeasure with this logic, but Twilight beat me to the punch.

"You knew of the danger of the Nevernever, and your solution was to simply cut us off from everything?" she asked, a look of disbelief on her face.

Celestia let out a sigh, "Yes Twilight, for the good of us all, we isolated Equestria."

Twilight kept staring at her mentor. "But there are sentient beings like us out there. Harry and Michael are proof of that. We can't just cut ourselves off from them!"

"And there are also many monsters out there as well. The vampires loose in our world are proof of that," Celestia countered calmly.

Twilight's voice started rising as she became angry. "Luna's wards couldn't last forever. It was only delaying the inevitable." Her voice rose even further as she began yelling. "You chose to ignore the worlds outside Equestria in the hopes that the dangers would simply go away!"

Celestia raised herself and exuded an aura of absolute authority. "And it has bought us a thousand years of peace and prosperity, Twilight. I must put the safety of my subjects above all else."

Twilight hadn't said it outright, but she had just pointed out that because of Celestia's decision a thousand years ago, her ponies today were grossly unprepared for our current situation. Granted I'm here to provide the experience that they wouldn't have otherwise, but ponies were still disappearing everyday because her guards didn't know how to protect them.

Twilight was about to speak again, but I put a hoof on her shoulder before she could. "Twilight, this is a discussion for another time. I don't like it either, but this won't help us right now."

She hesitated, but sat back down and began grumbling to herself.

I knew what was going through her head. We are all disappointed when those that we idolize prove that they are just as fallible as we are. When that idol is a semi-divine immortal, the impact is that much harder.

Luna shifted uncomfortably in her seat, clearly wanting to change the subject. "Indeed Dresden, I believe it is your turn to ask questions."

I cast around for several relevant questions, and decided to go for the very first one I had since I woke up in Twilight's library.

"Alright how about a simple one." I got up from my seat, reared up on my hind legs, and waved my forelegs in front of me, "Why am I a unicorn?"

Instead of Celestia, Luna answered me. "Oh well that's actually my doing." She then took another mouthful of salad in an attempt to kill me with suspense.

I gave her about five seconds before my temper would get the better of me. "Would you mind sharing with us?" I said through clenched teeth.

Luna smiled mischievously after she finished her mouthful of salad, "Very well. Behind the initial wards, I placed a second set of spells. Were anything to pierce my wards and enter Equestria, the spells would transform the intruder into their closest Equestrian counterpart." She then leaned over, took my face in her hooves, and began twisting my head to examine my musculature. "And I must say, I am quite proud of my work. Not a single muscle seems out of place."

I wrestled myself free from her grip. "Okay first of all, personal space, second and more importantly, why?"

She leaned back in her seat and looked gloomily at her plate, "Because if I hadn't, then you would be a gibbering mess on the floor right now."

That stunned me into silence, so Michael spoke instead. "What do you mean?"

Luna looked intently at me, "Dresden, I'm sure you've noticed the ample amount of latent magical energy here correct?"

I nodded, "Yeah, first spell I cast I accidentally destroyed Twilight's candlestick."

"Yes, but the latent power goes well beyond simple energy to be used. It permeates through everything in this world, through matter, constructs, but most importantly through our minds." Luna tapped a hoof on her forehead for emphasis. "All the creatures that call Equestria home, have developed brains capable of allowing the free passage of magical energy without damaging the brain itself."

That was new. The brain of my human body could channel magic of course, but it wasn't a perfect system. A wizard could channel magic through pure thought, but to do so would cause excruciating pain as the magic coursed through their brain. That's why wizards had to invent random words to assign to their spells, so that they could focus their attention on the words and intent of the spell instead of focusing the raw magic. This creates a kind of insulation against the magic in your mind.

But if what Luna said is true, then that may not be the case with unicorns. If that was true, then I would no longer be restricted by having to shout my spells. It would definitely explain why Twilight never had to shout anything.

"I remember before we set up the wards, there were several little pixie-like creatures that frequented here." Luna began giggling at the memory. "There was one in particular… Oh, what was his name?"

"Toot-Toot, I believe," Celestia answered.

That perked up my ears.

_Toot-Toot? The same Toot-Toot that acted as an information gatherer and personal rodent exterminator? No it can't be, that'd put him at over a thousand years old._

Toot-Toot was a Dew Drop Fairy that I frequently used to gather information or perform simple tasks. While I knew that most such creatures were the next best thing to immortal I had a hard time buying that he'd be that old. Fairies like Toot-Toot have the attention span of a gnat and so are useless for any kind of complicated work, but they are hell on wheels for fast and simple tasks. Tasks like who is at this address, put this gum in that keyhole, or my personal favorite, stick this firework in his pants and light it.

Luna smiled, "Yes that's it, Toot-Toot. He was so tiny he looked like just a puff of light. But he was such a little gentleman, always came to the Castle to visit and was very well spoken for such a small creature."

_Ah, so it wasn't him. Must just be a coincidence._

Fairies like Toot-Toot are extremely hyper and generally eclectic by nature. They never would've been able to remain still long enough to form any kind of bond to warrant frequent visits, much less be able to act like a gentleman.

Luna sighed again. "But then the magic of this world began to mess with his thoughts. He and his kind became increasingly erratic. I couldn't get him to hold still long enough to talk at all. Then for whatever reason, they developed a bizarre craving, bordering on lust, for a new kind of food the bakers called pizza."

I couldn't take it anymore, I fell over laughing. That was definitely my Toot-Toot, and to hear his history come from such an unlikely source was simply too much for me to handle. So I laughed and laughed while they all looked at me as though afraid for my sanity. All except Pinkie, who again didn't need a reason to join in and started laughing with me.

_How much of my life was influenced by Equestria before I even came here?_

I regained control of myself and explained, "Sorry, it's just that I know Toot-Toot. I use him as a source of information where I'm from. I just didn't expect to hear him mentioned from you."

Luna smiled, "Well it was shortly after this, that we expelled all foreign entities from Equestria and raised the wards."

"But why did the wards fail, while the spell that changed Harry and Michael didn't after all these years?" Twilight interjected.

"Like I said before, Harry and Michael are the first outsiders in Equestria since the wards went up," Luna lectured. "The wards have been working constantly over the last thousand years, while the transformation spell has only had to work once thus far." Luna looked at me, "The effects are anchored to the energies around Equestria so you should return to your original form should you choose to leave. I do not know of your intentions after this Red Court mess, but the effects of the spell are extremely thorough. So long as you remain here, biologically speaking you are as much a pony as the rest of us. You and Michael would of course be welcome to stay."

Now that was an interesting idea. I had to admit it would be one real nice change of pace to live in a place of relative peace. But I dismissed that desire. I had too many things too take care of back home. An image of Susan floated to the top of my mind again, and I immediately hammered it back down.

"What about leaving?" I looked between Celestia and Luna. "Have you had any luck with whatever's locking us here?"

Celestia shook her head, "I'm afraid not. Even with our combined strength we couldn't pierce through the power holding the veil closed. I believe that it was built off of the remnants of the wards. Even so, it would take a practitioner of extraordinary skill to create something of this magnitude."

I was afraid of that, if both Celestia and Luna couldn't break through the veil then there was no way in hell that I was going to be able to unravel it. That also meant that the 'new' Red King was likely going to be one nasty powerhouse of a wizard.

"So that just means we can't use the Nevernever to outflank them," Twilight mumbled.

"Does that mean the vampires can't use it as well?" Rarity asked.

"The main body of their forces probably can't, but I imagine their leader could. Not that it does him much good in a full out battle. Leaders are supposed to avoid getting involved in combat unless it's absolutely necessary," I answered. I turned to face Celestia, "What about those bodies we found in Manehattan, have you had a chance to look at those?"

Celestia's face turned several shades darker as she thought about her answer. "Yes, and from what I can tell they were not physically harmed, or at least not enough to kill them. It looks as though they simply stopped breathing. The most daunting thing is that this seems familiar."

Everypony there gaped at her, even Luna.

Luna spoke first. "Sister, what do you mean?"

Celestia stared off into space as she tried to remember, "I mean that I think something like this has happened before, when we were still children I believe. Bodies like these have popped up before. The memory is faint but some of the details match. I will of course need to go through the old records to understand further."

"When do you think that would yield results?" Michael asked.

Celestia shook her head, "I don't know, but it won't be anytime soon. I'm talking about over a thousand years of history and documentation that I need to comb through."

I sighed and slouched back in my seat, "Well great, more waiting." I looked over at Celestia, "That's pretty much it for my questions, unless you girls have any." I swept my eyes over my team.

They all shook their heads.

I clapped my hooves together, "Well then I guess it's back to the grind stone. I've got something I need to whip up anyway." I got up to leave but was stopped by a look from Michael, I got the meaning immediately. "On second thought, considering what happened yesterday, you all can have the day off. We'll get back to training tomorrow."

That earned a few cheers from the girls, and one disappointed look from Twilight.

Luna jumped to her hooves, "Oh Dresden, before I forget there's a new soldier I've assigned to your battalion. He should be meeting you in your office after lunch."

_Great, they get the day off and I still have to work. Fan-freaking-tastic._

"Who is he?" I asked.

Luna smiled at me, "I think you'll recognize him. Now go ahead and enjoy your day, just be in your office after lunch."

With that we all got up and started filing out of the room. Michael left first, and I stayed behind to hold the door for the others. As soon as my team left the room I turned to leave as well, but was stopped by white hoof in an ornate golden shoe.

"Dresden, I wanted to thank you," Celestia said in a soft honey sweet voice.

I cocked an eyebrow at her. "For?"

Celestia smiled even deeper, "For disobeying me. You disregarded my summons and chose to comfort those under your protection. For that I thank you."

I chuckled a little. "Well now I know you're nothing like my bosses in the White Council. If I disregarded an order from them, I'd get poorly concealed death threats. I think I like your complement better."

Celestia frowned at that. "Is this White Council really that bad?"

"Well I'm pretty sure they couldn't find their own hearts with x-ray glasses and a textbook on anatomy, so yeah." I shrugged my shoulders, "My world is a pretty rough and tough place, but they do the best they can with what they've got."

I turned and left after my friends and closed the door behind me, leaving the princess to her thoughts and her research about the strange bodies.

* * *

_Where is that damned recruit? He's not making a good first impression._

It was much later in day, almost past dinner time, and I was still stuck in my office waiting for Luna's promised recruit. I sat at my desk and fiddled with my new shield charm, trying to get it to sit straight at the base of my horn.

Michael had again taken over the lessons for the soldiers and random guardsponies, so I spent my entire day fashioning a new shield charm for myself.

I had requested a simple ornament meant to fit around my horn from the castle's smithy, and had received the base ornament almost immediately. It was a small band of silver strands woven together to form a ring just wide enough to fit snugly at the base of my horn. Several small dark red rubies were studded along the surface of the band and glinted with a subtle aura of magic.

After a carrier delivered the base ornament to me I'd begun the rather simple, but still time consuming task of enchanting it. It took me several hours to get the design just right so that the shield it produced would be hardy and flexible enough to stand up to damn near anything a vampire could throw at me.

I did a quick practice run and channeled a bit of energy through it, my horn glowing as I did. A large pane of dark red energy appeared before me. I sustained the simple shield and began prodding it with physical and magical senses alike. I couldn't find any obvious flaws in the shield so it was likely ready, but then again only the intensity of battle would reveal if there were any not so obvious flaws. I could only hope that it didn't fail at an inopportune time.

Only then did somepony finally knock at my office door. I dispelled the shield and went to sit behind my desk again.

"You'd better have a decent excuse for being this late, or some roasted hay. Honestly I'll take either," I shouted at the door.

The door opened and not one but two ponies stepped into my office. The first was an earth pony mare. She had a light brown coat with a blonde mane and tail, and her cutie mark was a grey cog. Her eyes were obscured by a large pair of blacksmith goggles.

The other was a pegasus… technically. He had a light brown coat similar to the mare's, a jet black mane and tail, and a dark shield on his flanks. He seemed familiar somehow. The much more interesting parts were his right foreleg and his left wing. They had both been replaced with what looked like steam punk replicas.

"Sorry we're late commander," the pegasus said, and gestured at the mare. "Gearshift here can be a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to her devices." He spoke in an unusually high-pitched voice for a male, and for some reason had a slight Irish accent. That and his slightly smaller frame gave me the impression that he was younger than most of the other soldiers.

Then it hit me where I remembered him from. He was the pegasus Luna had healed at the triage center set up in front of the castle when we first arrived here.

"You're… looking significantly better since the last time I saw you," I said.

He tilted his head slightly, "We've meet before?"

I shrugged, "Well you were unconscious at the time, and you were missing a few more limbs."

He rubbed his real hoof behind his head, "Yeah it's been an interesting week. The name is Silent Night, and this is my sister Gearshift." He gestured at the mare again.

Gearshift smiled and nodded. "I'm sorry for the delay. I had to make some last minute tweaks to my brother's prosthetic limbs." She sported the same odd accent as her brother.

"I take it that you're the castle's head engineer?" I asked Gearshift.

"Yes, how'd you know?" she asked.

"I meet with Luna a while back." I gestured at the mechanical limbs, "She had machinery similar to this all around her room, and she said she was working on a project with the castle's head engineer." I looked back at Silent Night, "I take it you were that project?"

He nodded his head, "Yes sir. After I was injured my sister pleaded with the princess to help her restore me to full strength again. Then after they were done, I heard that you were leading a battalion against the creatures that did this to me." He looked forlornly at his lost limbs, and then refocused his attention on me. "So I asked for a reassignment, to get some payback." There was a certain amount of fire behind his eyes and words. He meant what he said; he wanted to make the vampires pay for what he had to endure.

I cocked an eyebrow at him, "No offense but, are you even capable of fighting at the moment?"

Gearshift spoke up, "Yes he is sir. The replacements have been set into his skeletal structure. They are as durable as ever. And I don't know about you, but I think getting hit by a steel hoof is bound to hurt." She smiled at her brother, "Plus there's the surprise."

Without a further word Silent Night raised his mechanical hoof to the horizontal in front of him. The limb glowed with a slight blue aura, undoubtedly Luna's magic at work, and a foot long slender blade slid out of the end the limb. I didn't see any physical action to action to trigger the short sword, so I could only assume that it was triggered through thought like Luna had intended.

He nodded at me, "I am ready and able to cut down as many vampires as I can, commander." His sword retracted and he set his hoof down.

I eyed his mechanical wing, "What about your wing, can you still fly?"

I had touched a nerve. His demeanor immediately turned hostile, his eyes flashed, his wings flared open, and that fancy sword of his unsheathed itself again.

"No. Thanks to those things, I can't," he growled, and seemed to regain some self-control. "I can still glide small distances, but I won't ever actually fly again."

I felt a little bad for the guy, a large part of his life had been taken from him. Then again, vengeance makes for some extremely dedicated soldiers.

There's an old saying I'm quite fond of: The vast majority of the time, a monster's worst enemy is one of their own making.

I smiled at him, "Very well, it's already kind of late, so tomorrow report to Michael for lessons on how to best prepare carved vampire."

They both bowed and turned to leave.

Before they closed the door I yelled back at them, "I still want that hay later!"

I heard them chuckle as the door clicked shut. While trying to decide what to do with the remainder of my day, my stomach gave a loud rumble.

_Guess I'll grab a bite to eat, and then maybe go see if Twilight wants any last minute lessons. Heck If I lent her the shield ornament to study overnight she'll probably have a better one made by the morning._

I smiled and trotted my way out of my office and made a beeline for the mess hall. On the way there I passed by the sparing ground when I saw just what Applejack and Rainbow were choosing to do with their day off.

They were both fully armored and were doing their best to wrestle the other into submission as they sparred against each other. It was like watching what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immoveable object.

Applejack was standing her ground like an iron sentinel and simply took each of Rainbow's blows while trying to counter with her own attacks. Rainbow was using her superior agility to dodge almost every one of Applejack's attacks while raining her own barrage of blows onto Applejack's thick armor.

Neither side was showing any signs of slowing or giving ground. They were likely going to be at it for a while, and if the gathered crowd was any indicator, they've probably been going at each other for a good bit already. I even saw some of the gathered soldiers placing bets on the two mares.

I spotted Twilight and Pinkie among the crowd of ponies. They seemed to be laughing and whispering to each other as they watched their friend spar.

As I watched the contest I began to overhear a nearby discussion between two of my soldiers.

"They're monsters, every single one of them. I won't feel safe till every vampire is dead," said the larger of the two soldiers, in a deep gruff voice.

_Heh, a man after my own heart. Maybe we'll exchange battle tips later._

"Little aggressive are we?" countered the other soldier.

"You saw all those bodies in that shed! How can I not be aggressive?"

"I'm not defending the fully turned vampires, but what about the ones that are only infected?"

I froze in place. I tried to move, but my legs wouldn't budge an inch.

"What about them?"

"Well you remember what Celestia told us, an infected pony won't fully turn until their first kill. Until then they're still more or less themselves."

_Susan…_

"I remember Celestia saying that there's no cure for them. I'm not about to wait around for an infected pony to snap and start killing. They're already monsters, they just don't know it yet, it's better to put them out of their misery before they kill an innocent."

_Susan… a monster…_

His words hit me where I was weakest. The guilt and shame I hammered to the back of my mind were forced back to the surface and magnified a hundredfold. I snapped.

Before I realized what was happening, I had bounded over a nearby table and charged the offending soldier. Without slowing down I seized his neck with my magic and threw him against the nearest wall. I ran forward and used my hooves to pin his thrashing forelegs to the wall even while I tightened the magical noose around his neck.

"She is not one of them! I DID NOT MAKE HER A MONSTER!" I yelled so loud that I felt something in my throat tear. Any trace of self-control, or even sanity was gone.

He didn't understand what he was saying. He didn't realize how wrong he was, and in his ignorance he'd threatened Susan. I wouldn't let anything hurt her, not if I could still fix her. I had to protect her by any means necessary.

I tightened my grip on his neck and his eyes rolled back into his head. Through my magic I could feel the bones in his neck creak under the pressure.

"Harry no, stop!"

Something heavy rammed into my side and threw me to the ground. My grip on the soldier faltered and he slumped to the ground.

"GET OFF ME!" I roared, scrambling to get at the soldier that had threatened Susan.

"Harry stop, you need to calm down!" said whoever was pinning me to the ground.

I cast a furious glare upward and saw that it was the heavily armored Applejack currently immobilizing me. When I saw her considerable strength being directed at me, I came crashing back down into reality. I stopped fighting her and tried my best to regain control of the whirlwind of emotions raging in my head.

When it became clear that I wasn't trying to get at the soldier anymore, Applejack slipped off me and allowed me to get up.

I backed away slowly from the sight of what I'd done. The soldier lay unconscious on the ground in a crumpled heap, his body rose and fell as he drew ragged breaths. Several others ran around and gathered medical supplies to treat the soldier. He wasn't in immediate danger anymore.

So I did what any paranoid psychotic would do when they just did something incredibly stupid. I ran. I ran past them all and made my way as fast as I could to my room upstairs.

As soon as I passed into my room I slammed the door behind me and curled into a ball on my bed. In the process I dimly noted the patch of fresh plaster over the hole Applejack made.

_I'd say you handled that pretty well,_ whispered that little voice in the back of my head.

I was losing it. I needed to regain control over myself.

_Can't lose what you never had, dumb dumb. You've only ever repressed your pain,_ it whispered again.

"No, I can control myself. I always have," I said to myself.

_Really? Then how do you explain what just happened? You repress your pain and ignore it like it never happened. But that doesn't just go away Harry. No it builds and builds until you become a powder keg just waiting for a spark to set you off._

"No, I can control it! I just need a moment of peace."

_And now you're lying to yourself about it, literally. When you get hit by another spark and you go off again, will the resulting tantrum not be your fault?_

"Shut up…"

_What if that soldier died? Whose fault would that be?_

"Shut up!"

_What if the next time you lose control it's one of your friends that gets caught in the crossfire? What if it's Michael that you pin to the wall and start choking to death, or maybe Twilight? Then whose fault would that be?_

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

There was a knock at my door and a muffled voice spoke through it, "Harry?"

"Go away!" I roared at the door.

In spite of my clear objection, the door opened and Twilight stepped through. My anger subsided slightly at seeing her, but by no means dissipated.

She looked at me with a mixture of apprehension and worry, "Harry, we need to talk."

I glared back at her, "No, I need to cool off and you need to leave."

_Oh sure, drive away the pony trying to help you, that's a great way to cool off._

"You've been repressing something Harry. You need to talk about it, or sooner or later you'll lash out again." She took several more steps towards me.

_Listen to her Harry. She's making much more sense than you are._

"This doesn't concern you Twilight, leave," I growled.

She glared right back at me, "It concerns you. You need to talk, so I'm here to listen. I'm not leaving until we deal with what's bothering you."

I looked her right in her eyes, not needing to fear another soulgaze, and spoke in the most threatening tone I could muster, "Get. Out. Now."

She flinched only for a second, but steeled herself and returned my gaze. "No," she said simply.

I recognized that look in her face. It was the same determined look I'd seen in her soul as she protected the representations of her friends. If I wanted her to leave, I'd have to force her.

And I considered it.

Celestia help me, I considered causing her bodily harm just because she wanted to help me.

Twilight took a few more steps forward. She was now just out of reach of my bed. "It has to do with who the Red Court took from you doesn't it?"

I looked at her in shocked surprise, ""How'd you-"

"Our soulgaze," she cut me off, "Most of the details are still blurry, but I saw that the Red Court took somepony important from you. So who was she?"

"Not was, is. Susan's still alive, and is my business, as in none of yours."

"Harry, what did you tell us last night? What did you tell us to do when the line between right and wrong starts to blur?"

I curled up in my bed again, turning my back on her. "This isn't something a sympathetic ear can help with, Twilight."

_You stubborn hypocrite, why in the hay not?_

Twilight was thinking along the same lines. "Why not? What happened to her that you can't talk about?"

_Yeah Harry, what happened to her? Give voice to your pain. She won't leave until you do._

"What is it Harry, why won't you talk about what happened?" she asked again.

_Why Harry?_

I covered my head in my hooves and began shaking. I was already at war with myself over trying to control my emotions. Now Twilight had backed me into a corner and was determined to drag answers out of me. It was too much, the guilt and pain resurged and I couldn't contain it any longer.

"Because I loved her!" I blurted out, and shot up from where I lay to face her.

That earned a surprised look and a rare moment of silence from her.

"But I waited until it was too late to tell her," I mumbled, my pent-up emotions now flowing free. "We were captured and she was infected. Then I was thrown into a dungeon cell with her, so that I would be her first kill. I was supposed to be the kill that turned her into a monster!" I shouted, several tears now running down my face. "And it's my fault she was even there! If I'd warned her properly, then she wouldn't have followed me. Then she wouldn't… she wouldn't…" My voice faltered as I tried to imagine happier 'what if' scenarios.

At this point Twilight now sat right next to my bed and had begun rubbing a hoof over my back, "Harry, what happened to her isn't your fault. The vampires infected her, not you."

"I didn't warn her about the dangers of following me. If I had, she'd have stayed away," I said stubbornly.

Twilight frowned at me, "Do you know that for sure? Can you say with one hundred percent accuracy what Susan would or wouldn't have done?"

"Well no, but I-"

She continued, cutting me off, "Can you do anything now to change what happened back then?"

"No, but I-"

"Then you couldn't have done anything different to protect her," Twilight said in a simple matter of fact voice.

While Twilight's arguments made logical sense, it didn't stop the fact that I was the commonality to all of Susan's current troubles.

"But I'm still the root cause, Twilight. If she'd never met me, then she wouldn't be a half turned vampire right now. She'd be happy and living her life, safe and far away from me," I mumbled.

A sudden understanding hit Twilight as her eyes widened in comprehension. She abruptly switched tactics on me.

"You don't want your actions, intentional or accidental, to cause harm or misfortune to those that you care about correct?" she asked me.

I looked up at her eyes, "In a nutshell, yeah."

She nodded, "Then go dig a nice deep hole and live in it for the rest of your life. Because short of killing yourself, that's the only way to guarantee that your actions won't hurt those around you."

I gaped at her. I couldn't quite believe what I had just heard her say, and how perfectly such an idea would clash against my protective nature.

_Using what you learned in our soulgaze against me, clever girl._

"I am sorry Harry, but by the simple act of existing, you can possibly put others in danger." She smiled at me, "And that isn't a shot at you, that logic applies to all sentient life. By simply existing I could put my friends in danger too. And if I did do something that hurt one of my friends, I would be sad for time, but then I would move on. Accept your mistakes, learn from them, but don't let them control you."

I thought over her words and applied them to various troubling memories that I still dragged with me. Not only did what she say make logical sense, but it fit perfectly into my strong desire to protect those close to me. If I was obsessing over a past failure, I'd be more likely to screw up again and get another innocent hurt. If I also learned from past failures, then I'd be better prepared for future disasters.

I smiled, and even chuckled a little at her, "Hey, I thought I was supposed to be the teacher here."

She laughed back. "You wish, if anything you're my assistant. You assist me in learning new forms of magic." Her face became worried again as she looked at me, "Are you going to be okay?"

I nodded my head, "Yeah, I'll be fine." I rubbed a hoof behind my head, "I should probably apologize to that soldier though, huh?"

She smiled warmly again. "That can wait until tomorrow, you should get some sleep." She got up and headed for the door.

Before she could leave I called out, "Hey Twilight." She paused at the door and looked over her shoulder at me. "Thank you, you have no idea what a little peace of mind means to me."

I could see the cogs turning in her head as she tried to decide how to respond.

She smiled again, "Just say the word and I'll be there to kick your flank back into line anytime." She hesitated for a second before continuing, "I'll be in my room if you need anything."

With that she turned around and left my room, closing the door behind her.

I sighed and lay back down on my bed, suddenly overcome with a bone deep weariness and a slight light-headedness. I still felt bad about Susan of course, but it no longer weighed on my mind like a lead blanket. The feeling was a rare pleasure and almost a drug in its simple sudden lack of worry. I drifted off to sleep much easier that night than I normally would.

Before I lost consciousness completely, that same little voice spoke up in the back of my head.

_You like it here Harry. We will find peace here. We will survive far away from our past._


	13. Chapter 13

**Flesh Masks Ch. 13**

I awoke the early the next morning to a growling stomach. I picked myself out of my bed, moved over to my storage chest, and stretched my back like a cat.

For whatever reason, I felt great. Better than great, I felt amazing. The vast majority of the subtle aches and pains were simply gone from my muscles and joints. My thoughts were even clearer and more focused than usual. In fact the only notable negative sensation I was feeling was a strong desire to get some food, owing to the fact that I missed dinner the previous night.

_I feel amazing! I don't think I've felt this good since-_

A sharp pain shot through my head, killing that thought process. I held a hoof to my temple and massaged it.

_Whatever, it's not important. I think I'll go and see if Twilight wants to grab some breakfast._

I levitated my saddlebag onto my back, dropped a small pouch of bits into it, and left my room with a bounce in my step. I walked a few doors down the hall until I stopped in front of the door marked with Twilight's nameplate. I knocked softly on the door, and as I did it swung open on silent hinges.

I stuck my head around the door and whispered, "Twilight, you awake?"

Twilight's room was fairly similar to mine, a bed, desk, and a storage chest. The only noticeable differences were the tons of stacked books lining the walls of the room. The center had been kept clean so as to allow free passage. Twilight herself was curled up on her bed, her head propped up by whatever book she was reading last night.

It was so adorable that I didn't dare wake her. I left her alone and made my way to the mess hall, only slightly disappointed by the lack of company. That problem was sorted out relatively quickly though.

On the walk to the mess hall, I heard a series of hoof steps from behind me rushing up to meet me. The steps were off slightly, there was one metallic clank for every three normal hoof step.

Silent Night ran up to me and slowed to walking along side me. "Hey Dresden, whatcha up to?"

I smiled at him, "Just about to grab some breakfast, wanna join me?"

"Sure man, but let's hit up a local diner I know. Besides I distinctly remember owing you some hay," he chuckled.

I cocked an eyebrow at him, "You're oddly casual for a soldier."

"Why do you think I was on patrol duty before I met you?"

I laughed a bit at that. "That's okay. I prefer a more casual environment. Make me work with too many by the book stiffs and I start getting itchy."

"I think there's a cream for that."

I scowled at him, but couldn't quite hide my smile. "Oh would you shut it."

From there we pivoted away from the mess hall and I followed Silent towards whatever breakfast joint he had in mind. He led me through the castle, out of the main gates, and into Canterlot proper. Throughout the trip he was completely silent, at least while we were in the castle anyway.

Once we cleared the castle gates, Silent gave me a sidelong calculating look. "So Dresden, you okay?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?" I asked back.

That earned a confused look from him. "Really? Did you already forget about the guy you roughed up yesterday?"

In truth, I had. The events of the previous night had become foggy in my mind. But now that he'd mentioned it, I remembered what I had done.

I hung my head slightly, "Oh, right. Is he okay?"

Silent nodded, "Yeah he's fine, he's resting up at his place. Truth be told, he needed a good beating. You wouldn't believe the ego on that guy, he's a real jerk most of the time. But… if you don't mind my prying, what did he say that set you off?"

"He… he said…" My voice trailed off as I tried to remember.

_What did he say? He said something against an old friend. Yes… yes that's right._

I tried to remember exactly why I had attacked the soldier, but just couldn't seem to get the details to clear. My head began hurting again, the more I tried to focus on the memory, the sharper and more intense the pain in my head got.

"He didn't realize what he said, it was just in passing, but he insulted an old flame of mine. Her name was… Susan." I grimaced at the effort to remember her name.

Silent rubbed a hoof under his chin, "Susan huh? Kind of an odd name, but then so is Dresden. I won't pry any further. I know how touchy such things can be." He smiled as we continued walking. "I remember an old marefriend of mine, she was the sweetest thing. But I had to break it off when I went into the military." He winced, "Boy let me tell you, earth ponies can really kick. I probably still got the bruises from our breakup under my fur." He trotted ahead with renewed vigor. "Anyway come on, the restaurant is just up here."

I hesitated for a moment, distracted by his words.

_I've never thought about it before, but Harry Dresden really is an odd name for a unicorn._

* * *

"Hey Silent," I muttered under my breath as we walked through the front door of Silent's restaurant of choice.

"Yeah Dresden?" he replied.

I looked around the building to confirm my suspicions before I spoke again. "This is a bar. Why are we at a bar at eight in the morning?"

Silent just grinned and made his way over to a nearby booth. "Because this bar has the best hay fries I've ever had, and I owe you hay right?"

I rolled my eyes in annoyance and took my seat in the booth opposite him. In short order our order was placed and we each got a large plate of hay fries brought to our table. As soon as the hay was brought to us and the pegasus waiter trotted off, I bent my head down and began eating my meal.

"Uh Dresden, what are you doing?" Silent asked, looking over at me from across the table.

I paused and frowned at him, my muzzle still buried in my hay. I straightened my neck back and finished my mouthful of hay before I spoke. "What's up?"

"Why aren't you using magic?" Silent asked. "I thought you unicorns always ate by levitating your food."

"I… I guess we do." I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. "I think I'm still waking up."

Silent frowned at me and started eating his own breakfast.

I had used magic before to eat of course, but I had only done so in private, such as Twilight's library or my room in the castle. Out in public I was hesitant to casually perform magic. It almost felt like a practiced impulse to shy away from prying eyes and keep my magic away from the common public.

_But that doesn't make sense. Everypony knows that unicorns can use magic. What's going on with me today?_

I shook my head again and went back to eating my meal. This time however, I levitated the hay to my mouth to eat. To my slight surprise, nopony seemed to notice or even care about this fact. I wasn't sure why but the simple act of using magic in a casual environment, and with no social backlash, was extremely satisfying.

Silent, true to his namesake, seemed reluctant to start up a conversation, despite the fact that I could practically see the wheels turning in his head. So I decided to be the one to get things going.

"So Silent, you have your first lessons today right?" I asked.

It took him a full second or so to register that I had spoken. "Uh, what? Oh yeah, I go to Michael's training group after this, then I'll be in your class this afternoon."

_Oh that's right, I have a job don't I._

I nodded my head in the affirmative, trying not to show that I'd completely forgotten about the class later in the day. "Yeah, teaching a bunch of blockheads where to stick the business end of a spear into a vampire. I can't wait."

Silent snickered a little. "You already have a pretty good idea of our soldiers then. Before all this vampire business we only recruited the willing into our armies, and it takes a certain kind of thick headedness to seek out a military carrier in peace time."

"I suppose some things never change, no matter where you go," I commented.

"Where are you from anyway?" Silent cocked his head in thought, "From what I've heard, you can throw around a good bit of fire. I can't imagine there are too many places besides Canterlot where you could learn battle magic like that."

I considered his question, and almost immediately my head began to ache again. Vague half formed images of a large bustling city popped into my mind, but quickly dissipated before I could focus on them.

"I can't think if the name… It's a big city, but I can't remember much more." I rubbed my temples, trying to get the aching to subside.

Silent looked genuinely worried, "Think you hit your head in Manehattan? Maybe you should have that new nurse, Fluttershy take a look at you. I hear she's pretty good."

"NO!" I snapped reflexively. The left side of my face throbbed with a dull phantom pain at the memory of Fluttershy's quick stitching. "I'm fine, honest. I just need a bit of time to myself."

Silent got up from his seat, having just finished his breakfast. "Well, wish granted. I've got to get back to the castle if I'm going to make it to Michael's class. I'll see you this afternoon then."

Without a further word, Silent left the restaurant and hurried of towards the castle. The clanking of his artificial leg could be heard for several seconds after he left. I sat back in my seat and polished off the rest of my hay as I considered what to do with my free time until my afternoon class.

_I suppose I could wander around the city for a bit. I still need to familiarize myself with the layout, and maybe I'll find something interesting in a shop._

I got up to leave, but before I could take more than a step or two there was a loud cough from behind me. I turned and saw our waiter pointing her wing at our table. I focused on what she was pointing out and noticed that it was the check for our meal.

I sighed and muttered to myself, "Silent you crafty bastard."

I levitated a few bits onto the table and departed, intent on seeing what Canterlot during the daytime had to offer.

* * *

"How much is this hat?" I asked while straightening a Stetson similar to Applejack's on my head.

The cashier of the Sharp Dresser clothing store responded in an extremely posh and condescending tone of voice, "That would be ten bits sir. But if you are attending any Canterlot events, might I suggest something a bit more… fashionable."

"You can stop talking with your nose in the air is what you can do," I said without turning around. I could practically hear the shocked look on his face, it made me smile. "I'm not looking for fashion as much as function."

The chime above the door rang as another pony entered the shop.

"My my my, quite the impressive collection you have here," said an equally posh feminine voice that I recognized. "Do you have any… Mr. Dresden, is that you dear?"

I turned and saw Rarity trotting over to meet me.

"Hey Rarity, what brings my illusionist all the way down here? I thought you'd have lessons with Luna." I asked.

Rarity walked next to me and glanced distastefully at the hat on my head. "I was, but a matter came up that Princess Luna had to address immediately." Without asking permission from me or the storeowner, Rarity levitated the Stetson of my head and began placing other random hats in its place. "If you're looking for a nice hat Dresden, you should've just said so. Maybe this... no it clashes with your coat."

I shook my head clear of Rarity's latest selection and backed a step away. "I don't want to look nice. I want to add something to wear with my overcoat. I figure some kind of head protection is better than none." I looked over the selection of hats one more time. "But I don't see anything here that gives much coverage. Maybe I'll just add a hood to the overcoat." I levitated a small roll of thick linen and examined it.

Rarity pouted and placed the hats she'd taken back in their respective places. "Very well, but I wish you'd at least let me stylize your overcoat a bit. Just because you're only going to wear it in combat doesn't mean you can't look good while doing so."

I tossed some bits on the front counter as I paid for my materials. The shopkeeper was decidedly avoiding looking at me and stuck his nose even further in the air. "I don't doubt that you could make me stand out, but in the middle of a fight standing out is the last thing I want to do. Besides with the protective enchantments I put on that coat, I doubt your needles could puncture it."

Rarity frowned at the idea of a piece of clothing she couldn't modify. The door chimed again as I took advantage of her momentary silence and escaped into the streets. My respite was short lived as Rarity followed me out of the door and followed me down one of Canterlot's busier streets.

The street in question was clearly meant as the main street for any and all businesses. The street itself was wide enough to allow several large mobile stalls and carriages to come and go as they pleased, and was paved with cobblestone to make the pulling of carts that much easier. The street was bustling as ponies of all shapes, sizes, and colors went about their days and made their purchases. Even the shops were nearly as colorful as their clientele. Almost every shop entrance performed shameless self-promotion as they decorated almost every square inch of their establishment with various posters and banners meant to draw in the passing customers. Several stores went the extra step and had ponies in front of their shop loudly pronouncing the savings to be had there.

I hesitated slightly as we neared the crowd of bustling ponies, and suddenly wished very much that I had my overcoat. I don't really like thick crowds, it's too easy to find a dagger slide between your ribs and have the perpetrator disappear into the confusion. It may be paranoia, but just because a street seems normal doesn't mean that there's not a team of ninja assassins intent on turning me into a corpse.

I hugged the outer edge of the larger groups of ponies and kept my shield charm primed to be ready to go at a moment's notice.

"Uh Dresden, what is that on your horn and why is it glowing?"Rarity asked from behind me as we moved past the largest of the groups.

A quick glance upward showed that the simple ruby encrusted silver band around the base of my horn was glowing with a dull red light.

I returned my gaze to try and keep an eye on every little detail that I could in the surrounding environment as I continued window shopping. "It's my shield charm," I stated in a flat tone. "You never know when you might need a nice hardy shield."

"But we're in the middle of Canterlot," Rarity insisted. "Surely you don't expect to be attacked here?"

"I don't know what to expect, so I want to be prepared at any given moment." I eyed a passing couple that moved a little closer than I was comfortable with.

Rarity gave me a sidelong glance, "That's paranoia Harry."

"Maybe, but I'm still alive and kicking."

Rarity rolled her eyes at me, "By that logic you should also arrest random ponies on suspicion of treason. You really need to relax from time to… Oh would you look at this!" Rarity broke off from her brief rant to run up to a nearby shop.

Rarity pressed her nose to the display window of the shop and practically began drooling as she stared at the newest token of her affection. As I got closer I saw that she was fawning over what looked like a set of crystalline knives.

There were about ten small knives in total and they sat in a small display case, arranged just perfectly to allow a nearby candle's flame to dance on the reflective surfaces. A note card under the display case read:

_Diamond Throwing Knives_

_Crafted from the finest diamonds from the Crystal Mountains, these will be the center of every conversation while they are on display in your common room._

_Inquire inside for price_

By the time I had finished reading Rarity had already pushed past me and made her way inside the store. I followed after her, hoping to find anything of interest while Rarity negotiated with the shopkeeper.

As I stepped through the door way and got a good look at the shop as a whole, I noticed that it wasn't so much a fine jewelry store as it was a thrift shop. The walls were lined with a random assortment of trinkets that ponies had pawned for a quick bit. I began perusing the shelves to see what I could find. Behind me Rarity was already in a heated discussion with the elderly earth pony shopkeeper.

"One hundred and thirty bits is simply outlandish Sir!" Rarity shouted, a slight hint of a higher class tone creeping into her voice.

"They're knives made of diamond madam, do you really expect them to be cheap?" the shopkeeper countered.

I tried to ignore them, I honestly did, but I could help but be entertained by the negotiating. Maybe I could pick something up myself. My methods of negotiations usually involve less words and much more fire, so I could probably use a lesson or two on the subject.

"I know that's been sitting there for a long while, there's an inch thick layer of dust around it. So you obviously haven't been having any luck selling it on your own, and with that price I'm not surprised." Rarity stuck her nose in the air, and turned to leave.

For a brief moment I thought that she was genuinely leaving the store, but I noticed that she slowed as she neared the door and took as much time as she could in her exit. I looked back at the shopkeeper and saw his eyes darting around in his head and his teeth beginning to grind together as he fought an internal war with himself.

At the last second before Rarity would've stepped out of the door, he broke. "Alright, alright fine! You win. Let's say a hundred bits for the set."

Rarity frowned and cocked an eyebrow over her shoulder at the man.

He gnashed his teeth even more. "Okay fine, ninety bits. But that's as low as I'm willing to go."

Rarity flashed teeth that were just as white as her coat and pulled out a large jingling purse from her ornate navy blue saddlebag. Rarity began counting out bits from her purse and laying them on the front counter, creating a growing pile of gold as she continued counting. How this mare got to be the Element of Generosity was beyond me.

_I don't think I'll ever understand women_, I thought to myself.

It was somewhere around the seventy bit mark that she evidently ran out of money. Knowing what was about to happen, I tried to slink my way out of the shop but was cut off by the white unicorn. Without having to say a single word, she simply looked at me with the saddest puppy dog face I've ever seen. Her ears drooped down, she pouted out her lower lip, and her pupils grew to a size I thought was only possible with a potent hallucinogenic.

Against the power of such cuteness, there can be no victory.

"Okay, okay fine. I'll cover the rest. Just please, stop looking at me like that," I cried while trying and failing to look away.

"Thank you Harry," Rarity said in a high pitched squeal and immediately moved to inspect her newest possessions.

I shuffled over and began counting out the remainder of Rarity's debt onto the counter, plus a small tip for the resulting grief of our visit.

"Thank you sir," the shopkeeper said as he accepted my money. He shot a glance at Rarity, who was now admiring the knives by levitating them in the sunlight. "I thank Celestia that most of my customers don't have her silver tongue."

"Don't let her hear you say that. She might start getting ideas on how to turn herself into a massive piece of jewelry." I chuckled at the mental image of a Rarity made of liquid silver.

I glanced over at Rarity after I had finished counting out the remaining bits, and if I operated using Pinkie's bizarre logic my jaw would've hit my hoof. Rarity had taken out all ten of the knives and had begun whirling them in a tornado of flashing diamond. As the light from the window hit the tornado it reflected off of the knives and shone around the room in multiple colors, creating an effect similar to a disco ball.

To a less wicked mind, this would've just been an eye catching scene of multicolored beauty. To my mind, this was a fine example of the potential such tools had. I began to get ideas that the emotionally jaded would call a bit harsh, and anypony else would call downright disturbing.

I turned to face the shopkeeper, "Hey how sturdy are those knives?"

He paused to consider his answer. "Well I believe they were originally made for display purposes, at least that's what I'd use them for. But they are solid diamond, one of the hardest materials knows to ponies. If you really wanted to use them, they'd probably be able to stand up to a great deal of stress."

I nodded my head and made a mental note for a possible new set of equipment for Rarity. "Good, at least we've done something productive so far."

Across the room, Rarity set the knives back into their display case and waited patiently for me at the door.

I turned towards the exit and waved a hoof at the shopkeeper, "Thanks for the help, I'll see you later." As I moved to leave, a display card on a nearby shelf caught my eye and I paused to get a better look at it. The card read:

_Smarty Pants Doll_

_Quill and notebook not included._

_Eight bits._

Above the card was a small raggedy doll. It was vaguely pony shaped and had clearly been repaired, probably several times. The base weave was thick grey wool giving the illusion of it having a grey coat, and thick stringy clumps of black wool served as the doll's mane and tail. The eyes were simple buttons that had been sown on. It also sported a small set of blue shorts with white polka dots dotted around it. Several portions of the doll had been patched with cloth and thread that was close to the color of the base material, but not quite the same. This gave it the slight feel of a doll that had been created from the remains of other dolls inexpertly thrown together.

_Twilight mentioned she used to have one of these, but lost it somehow_. I tried to think back to what she told me about how she lost it, but the finer details escaped me. _She'd probably like a new one_. I cast the battered doll another look, _'New' being a relative term._

I looked back at the shopkeeper and levitated a few more bits in the air, "Hey, I'll take this doll too."

He accepted the bits. "Sure thing. Getting it for your daughter?"

I shook my head and set the doll into my saddlebag. "Nah, just getting it for a friend."

With that, Rarity and I departed the thrift shop and back into the busy streets of Canterlot. Almost immediately my feeling of trepidation returned and I found myself instinctively gathering power into my shield charm again.

"What was that about?" Rarity asked.

I cocked an eyebrow at her, "What was what about?"

She motioned toward my saddlebag, "The doll, what's with the doll?"

I shrugged, "Twilight told me she used to have one of these things, but lost it. So I'm getting her another one."

"Why," she pressed on.

"I don't know, make her happy I guess," I said dismissively. "Do I really need a reason?"

Rarity hesitated for a moment before responding. "If you're interested, Twilight told me that she was going to have lunch with her parents today. You might see if you can join them." She craned her neck as she looked at a clock on the side of a nearby building. "They should be at Donut Joe's in about an hour."

I thought about the idea with some hesitation. I didn't really want to interrupt what I'm sure would be valuable parent bonding time. But at the same time a small force in the back of my mind jumped at the idea and urged me towards it.

"Yeah, that sounds nice. I might just do that," I thought out loud.

Rarity nodded her head in response, "Well you have fun, I've got to get going. Princess Luna said that she'd be done with her business reasonably soon, so I should be getting back to the castle."

The mention of Luna snapped me out of the pleasant imaginary meal I was lost in and reminded me about Rarity's recent purchase.

I extended a hoof to stop her before she could leave. "Hey wait, take those knives with you. Ask Luna if she can show you how to use them in a fight."

Rarity looked shocked and a little insulted at the idea of using gems as a weapon. "Now why would I do something like that? These are supposed to be put on display, not used in combat."

"Maybe, maybe not," I countered. "They're small, durable, and razor sharp knives that are lightweight enough for you to whip around easily. It's would be worth looking into at least."

Rarity frowned and looked back at her saddlebag while before she responded. "I suppose I could mention it to her. But I still don't like the idea of using something as spectacular as these gems in combat."

"Weren't you just offering to stylize my overcoat a little while ago?" I pointed out.

"Well yes but… but that's not…" She let out a defeated sigh. "You just can't let others live in their own little worlds can you?"

I felt a wide grin stretch across my face, "It's just so much fun sometimes. It's even sweeter if the victim actually deserves it."

Rarity turned and began trotting off towards the castle. "Just don't make me regret telling you about Twilight's lunch plans," she called over her shoulder.

I scoffed in the general direction Rarity left in and trotted off to continue my mapping of Canterlot. "Now where would she get an idea like that?"

* * *

I ran down one of Canterlot's only vaguely familiar side streets, my head pivoted as I tried to make sense of where I was. "Where in the hay is Donut Joe's?" I galloped past a familiar fruit stall boasting half off on strawberries. "Wait, didn't I pass that like three times now?" I stopped in the middle of the street and sighed heavily, "I'm just going round in circles now. I'm never going to make it to lunch with Twilight."

"Harry?" called a familiar voice to my right.

I turned and noticed a certain purple unicorn standing directly under several flashing neon arrows pointing at a massive neon sign reading: "Donut Joe's".

_Huh._

Twilight tilted her head at me quizzically, "Harry what are you doing down here?" A look of horror appeared on her face, "Were we supposed to have a lesson right now? Oh I knew I should've asked before I made plans with Mom and Dad."

Before she could run off and cancel on her parents, I waved a hoof dismissively. "No Twilight, I heard from Rarity that you'd be having lunch with your folks, so I just wanted to see if I could join you."

Her face brightened immediately, "Of course you can join us. I'm sure they'd love the chance to get to know you better."

Twilight turned and I followed her through the large double doors of the donut shop. As soon as we stepped inside a pair of unicorns I recognized as Twilight's parents waved us over. We made our way over and Twilight and I sat together in the booth opposite from her parents.

"Hello, Mr. Dresden is it?" Mr. Sparkle asked.

"That's my name. I hope you don't mind me crashing this lunch." I looked between Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle.

"Not at all dear," Mrs. Sparkle assured. "We always want to know more about Twilight's friends, and we didn't get much of a chance to talk last time."

Twilight shifted uncomfortably in her seat next to me, "Mom, please don't pressure him too much."

"How has Twilight been doing," Mr. Sparkle asked. He was looking intently at me and being careful to keep his tone level. "Twilight hasn't told us anything about what you've all done so far. Has she been in any danger?"

_I just got here and I'm already on thin ice. Why is my life never easy?_

"Twilight, in danger? I doubt it, your daughter and her friends are extremely capable at looking out for each other," I told Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle. At these words they looked at Twilight with a certain amount of pride in their eyes. "Why she's even saved my sorry hide once already," I added.

Twilight sat up straighter, puffed out her chest, and adopted a rather smug look. "You only get one, Harry. If you let a vampire get that close again, I'm just going to watch." She couldn't hold back her grin any longer and we both began laughing at my expense.

Twilight's parents were less than pleased with this however. With the knowledge that their daughter had been in a life or death situation, they clearly began forging plans to get her to safety. Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle gave each other a significant look before either of them spoke.

"Mr. Dresden, I'm sure that you are an excellent commander and that you are doing everything you can to protect our daughter, but we just don't feel comfortable having Twilight in active duty," Mr. Sparkle directed at me.

"We will be taking Twilight out of your unit and send her back to her library in Ponyville," Mrs. Sparkle added. "She will be nice and safe there."

I understood their desire to protect Twilight, and if I was in their position, I would probably do the exact same thing. But Twilight was a central part of my team and the idea of seeing her leave stung deeper than I thought it would've. I opened my mouth to object, but was cut off by the mare next to me.

"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry but that's not your decision to make," Twilight scolded her parents. She did this so reflexively and calmly that I guessed they had been arguing about Twilight's position for a while now.

"The hay it's not young lady," Mrs. Sparkle shot back. "You are our daughter and we just want what's best for you."

Twilight locked eyes with her mother. "I am not a little filly anymore Mom, I am a grown mare and I will make my own decisions." Twilight shifted her gaze to look at me, "And I choose to help Harry protect Equestria."

That little voice in the back of my head began doing back flips and I had to fight to keep my tail from twitching again.

"But Twilight, that's what the Equestrian army is for," Mr. Sparkle offered.

I finally saw an opportunity to cut in. "The Equestrian army isn't fully aware of what it's facing. Your daughter is helping me to change that, she is helping me to save lives."

"Besides, I was ordered to serve under Harry by Princess Celestia herself," Twilight added. "Do you really think she'd put me there if she thought I couldn't handle it?"

Mr. Sparkle looked extremely uneasy, shifted a little, and put a hoof around his wife to draw her in closer. "Well, no but I… No of course you're capable sweetie-"

"We just worry about you is all," Mrs. Sparkle finished for her husband.

Twilight smiled, touched by her parents' care for her. "Please don't worry, so long as I'm with my friends I'm safe."

Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle hugged each other tighter and a single tear rolled down Mrs. Sparkle's cheek. I looked over at Twilight and saw that she desperately wanted to comfort her parents, but was unwilling to surrender her position so she remained as resolute as ever. After a brief moment Twilight's parents separated from each other.

Mr. Sparkle beamed at his daughter, "We never could stop you when you set your mind to something. You can stay with your friends, but we want regular meetings honey."

Twilight smiled brightly, "Of course Dad, I can always find time for you two."

Mrs. Sparkle wiped a foreleg over her eyes, clearing them of any residual dampness. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's gets some lunch."

From there the meal became a much lighter hearted affair. We sat and laughed at each other's jokes and stories. Twilight and I described the lessons I was giving Twilight and how quickly she was becoming a true battle hardened wizard.

"So you're throwing around fire and lightning now?" Mr. Sparkle said with an astonished look on his face. He turned to look at his wife and chuckled. "Never thought I'd see the day, both of our children are powerful soldiers."

Mrs. Sparkle smiled at her husband, "Celestia help us if we miss a birthday."

Twilight tilted her head at her parents, "Where is Shining anyway?"

"Celestia sent Shining and Cadence to supervise the settlement of a new city. They won't be back for quite some time," Mr. Sparkle answered.

Twilight looked relieved at this news. "Good, it's nice to know that Shiny's okay."

"Speaking of family," I cut in,"I assume you two have some nice and embarrassing stories of Twilight as a filly?" I asked Twilight's parents. A devilish grin spread across my face, "I could always use a little ammunition to keep her in line."

If looks could kill, then Celestia would be down one unicorn commander.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle began laughing together. "Oh goodness yes, we've got a few," Mrs. Sparkle chuckled and looked at her husband. "What was that book fort thing she did?"

By this point Twilight tore her murderous gaze from me and gasped at her parents. "No please don't…"

"Oh shush Twilight, it's all in good fun." Mrs. Sparkle began smiling as she ran through the pleasant memories.

I flashed my teeth at Twilight as well, "Yeah Twilight, you wouldn't want to keep your parents from fond reminiscing would you?"

Twilight just groaned in defeat and buried her face in her forelegs.

The rest of our lunch became a simple matter of storytelling. Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle began regaling us with numerous stories of Twilight's misadventures as a filly. The vast majority of the stories were failed or otherwise solo magical experiments Twilight did when she became increasingly obsessed with her magic while growing up.

The book fort story Mrs. Sparkle mentioned was particularly entertaining. In one of the strange random magical surges unicorn foals get, Twilight had created a full sized book fort in the middle of her parents' living room, complete with functioning book-powered artillery. When either of her parents or her older brother entered the room, the cannons reacted automatically and began firing copious amounts of paper at the intruder. They only managed to placate her by levitating a filled cookie jar over to her fort as a peace offering. As soon the jar was within jumping distance, filly Twilight launched herself at it and did her very best to fit her head inside of the jar, eating cookies as she went. After she went into a cookie induced comma the book fort simply collapsed, having being cut off from the source of magic holding it together. This resulted in the filly Twilight falling fast asleep on top of a pile of books with her head still stuck inside of the cookie jar.

We all laughed and enjoyed each other's company. Even Twilight forgot her embarrassment and began to add to her parents' stories by offering small corrections or even asking about specific stories of herself or her brother. It was the most peaceful and loving environment I could easily remember being a part of.

I didn't want it to end. For a brief moment, I was happy. I was surrounded by ponies that were smiling and laughing with each other. I was surrounded by ponies that not only accepted me into their group, but were happy to see me and actively wanted me there. I was truly happy.

For some reason it felt like such an alien sensation, like it was an emotion I hadn't experienced in an extremely long time. I tried to think back to when I last felt truly accepted, but my mind fogged when I tried to conjure any specific memories.

My eyes drifted over a nearby clock as I was trying to remember. We had been sitting there and talking for well over an hour. I was going to be late for my afternoon class.

I jumped out of my seat and levitated my saddlebag from the floor to its place on my back. Twilight, who was leaning against me for support while she was busy laughing from the latest story, nearly toppled onto the floor as I got up.

"Sorry about that." I levitated Twilight back onto all four hooves. "I've really got to go, I've got a class to teach and I still need to drop my stuff off at home."

"We'll take care of the check," Mr. Sparkle said. "You go ahead and get going."

"Thanks." I turned and galloped off at full speed towards the castle.

As I galloped through the streets of Canterlot, a distracting thought crept into my head.

_Home… my room in the castle barracks?_

A phantom image floated to the front of my mind, of small and shabby apartment that seemed vaguely familiar. It was tough to tell because there was little I could use to proportion myself against, but it seemed like most everything there would be too large for me to use.

As suddenly as the image appeared, it vanished from my mind. I paused in my galloping and tried to recall more details about the strange room. Almost immediately a sharp pain stabbed at my head, and made it nearly impossible to gather my thoughts.

I rubbed at my temples to try and ease the pain. "Ugh, I need to ask Fluttershy for some aspirin."

I set the whole confusing situation aside until after I could finish my class for today and galloped off again for the castle.

* * *

The door to my classroom slammed open as I crashed through it and into the large room full of waiting ponies.

"Hey everypony, I know I'm late but thanks for waiting." I rushed to the podium at the front of the room and set my saddlebags on the ground at my hooves. I removed a quill and some parchment from the bags and placed them on the podium. The fabric and Smarty Pants doll that I'd forgotten to give Twilight were now in the storage chest in my room. "Let's go ahead and get to it."

I took a quick look around the classroom to see what I was working with. It looked like I was starting to move away from teaching the military. The majority of the class today was largely the guardsponies of Canterlot with only a few military units scattered throughout the group. In the front row however, was a particular military pegasus with a steam punk foreleg and wing. Silent Night waved his mechanical hoof at me as I noticed him.

I waved back at Silent and began my lesson for the day. I ran through the same general description of the Red Court vampires that I had given to the princesses and my own battalion. As I have been told by Celestia and Luna these classes would become less and less necessary. As more and more ponies learned how to combat the vampires, they could go and teach their own classes thus allowing the knowledge to be spread easier, which would also give me more time to do whatever I pleased.

_Maybe I could arrange some more lessons with Twilight._

After about an hour and a half of describing the most vulnerable parts of a vampire's anatomy, I wrapped up the general description of how best to square off against a vampire. At least from a scholarly standpoint, the guardsponies would still have to meet with Michael for more practical experience.

"Any questions?" I asked the assembled guardsponies.

Silent raised his mechanical hoof in the air. I nodded at him and gestured for him to continue.

"What about the vampires themselves?" Silent asked. "What do you know about why they do what they do?"

I rubbed a hoof under my chin, "Well, they're predators. They generally prefer to use stealth or deception tactics whenever possible."

Silent shook his head, "Not what I meant. I'm more curious about their history, like where are they from? I'm pretty sure they're not from here, so maybe the Badlands to the south?"

"Their… history…" I muttered to myself.

I heard the words and the question made logical sense, but I couldn't quite answer it. I knew I had the answer in my head, but it just didn't want to immediately present itself. I began clawing through my memories to try and find the answer for Silent's question.

I found a short whisper of a memory at a corner of my mind and latched onto it. I saw the inside of a brick walled room and felt a sharp pain on my shoulder as a black clawed hand gripped me. Then a blinding pain that was entirely unrelated with that memory coursed through my head.

The pain destroyed my concentration on that memory causing it to retreat from the forefront of my mind. It was then taken and hidden behind a massive wall in my mind that I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't actively trying to track down my scattered thoughts.

_My head, somepony has been in my head!_

The wall wasn't perfect, far from it. Large cracks ran through the entirety of the wall, through which the random memories I had been experiencing all day had been seeping through. I didn't know how this wall had been set up or who was to blame, but I knew was that a large part of my life was hidden behind it and I was going to tear it down.

A small voice spoke up from behind the wall. _Don't touch it Harry. Destroying the wall will only bring pain._

I didn't care, nothing gets to just mess with my head. I gathered together my will into a massive battering ram of glowing energy. I oriented it at the crumbling wall and drew it back, right before I threw it at the wall with as much force as I could muster.

There is a very good reason why fighting against mental magic usually results in the victim being driven insane.

As the battering ram slammed against the wall a large network of cracks and splinters weaved throughout the wall. It was still standing, but only barely. At the same time the ram struck home, a white hot dagger sunk to its hilt into my skull.

The pain was nearly indescribable. I fell to my knees and all sensation other than the agony in my head was drowned out for several seconds. I hesitated for several more seconds until I could once again tell up from down.

"Commander!"

"Dresden, are you okay?"

Once some feeling had been restored I blocked out all of my senses so that I may focus on tearing down the remnants of the memory spell on me. I reassembled the battering ram of pure will and reared it back once more.

_Harry, no don't!_

I drove down my will and once again hammered it into the spell. The wall shattered into a cloud of glittering dust under the focused mental assault.

At the moment of impact I was faced with two conflicting sensations. The first, a twisting of the agony inducing knife still lodged in my head. The second, a feeling of a rushing tide washing over me as repressed memories returned to me. Flashes of countless memories appeared to me as the wall crumbled, and I remembered who I was.

I was not Harry Dresden, the unicorn commander of vampire hunting ponies and combat trainer of the Elements of Harmony. I was Harry Dresden, wizard and warden of the White Council.

A weight fell on my shoulders as I realized this. It was the weight of far too many bad memories, coupled with the loss of too many people that had depended on me for help. I hadn't realized how much pain and weight the simple memories carried. At least I didn't until they had been removed from me for a day. Sometimes ignorance truly is bliss.

"He's not moving!"

"Somepony get a stretcher in here! He needs to get to the medical wing now!"

What was most disturbing to me wasn't the memory repressing spell, or the subsequent pleasure from the false life, but it was the manner in which the spell was constructed. Now that I had my memories returned to me, and the experience attached to those memories, I recognized the patterns of energies that were behind the spell. It was my memory repression spell.

In the war against the Red Court the White Council began teaching counter magic to mental intrusion. In order for me to effectively teach the counter magic, I had to first have an understanding on the offending magic, the spell that had rendered me ignorant for a day was one such spell that I had learned. I recognized the way the energies flowed together, there was no denying it. I had cast the spell on myself, and I had a decent idea as to how.

The last thing I remembered before I was swallowed by the encroaching blackness was that same little voice in the back of my head.

_I tried to warn you, nothing but pain will come of this._

* * *

My vision cleared as some sense of self returned to me. I stood to my full and considerable height. I looked around to try and gauge where I was, and the only noticeable land mark was a large circle of light on a flat surface. Everything outside of the circle of light was a pitch blackness through which nothing could be seen.

I raised my hand to my face and used my fingers to try and shield my eyes from the source of the light. I froze in the middle of the motion and just stared at myself.

_Hands? But how?_

I was back in my original human body, right down to the same clothes I had been wearing back in the White Council training camp. Even my left hand was back to its charred and blackened self. The truly bizarre part was that it all seemed alien to me. Even though I was now back in my bipedal body, I found myself instinctively wanting to walk on all four limbs. I even found myself trying to gather my power into the horn that I no longer had.

"Where am I?" I muttered to myself and continued trying to gauge my surroundings.

"Hello Harry, it's about time that we had a talk," said a very familiar voice from right behind me.

I spun around towards the voice and saw, myself. My unicorn self was sitting on his haunches about five feet away from me. He was an exact mirror image of my previous self, with one small difference. On my duplicate's face was what was close to a stylish goatee. That seemed redundant somehow seeing as how his face was already covered in fur, but whatever.

He smiled a wicked smile as pieces began falling into place in my head. "It's been quite some time since we've talked. How long has it been Harry?" His voice dripped with a certain cold detachment that screamed sociopath.

That's when the final piece fell into place and I figured out what was going on. I was unconscious somewhere, and this was a dream. My doppelganger sitting across from me was quite literally a piece of myself. He was my hindbrain, my subconscious, my instincts, or whatever you want to call it. He was the pieces of my mentality that worried most about the baser instincts of my nature. He was my need to feed, my desire to breed, my hunger for power, but above all else he's my drive to survive.

The simple fact that I was capable of such a literal introspective conversation spoke volumes about my mental stability. The fact that this wasn't my first time, or that I wasn't even all that surprised, said much more.

I pointed an accusing finger at my doppelganger, "You, you're the one that cast that memory repression spell."

He shrugged his shoulders and flashed his teeth at me, "Well, technically speaking, you're the one that did that." He chuckled a little, "But yes, I will take credit for that."

I ground my teeth and stomped my foot on the ground, "Would you care to explain why?"

He lifted his hoof to his face and examined it for a second. "I would've thought that would be obvious." He set his hoof back down and looked me intently in the eyes. "You remember Luna's offer, after this business with the Red Court is done, we can stay in Equestria."

I sat down and arranged my legs under me. "You can't be serious," I scoffed at my copy. "You know full well that I still have work to do back at home."

He shook his head, "I know that your precious 'work' just makes you miserable."

He gestured his hoof to the blackness at his left. The shadows shifted and resolved into the image of my shabby one bedroom apartment. The image was centered on me as I sat on my couch and nursed some wounds that I'd recently sustained.

My doppelganger looked at me and asked, "What do you see here?"

I ran my fingers through my hair, "Just looks like me after one of my jobs, maybe after one of the warlocks I've chased down. I've gotten pretty banged up before, so what?"

"Well what I see is a man sitting in his home and licking his wounds, alone." He put extra emphasis on the last word. "Your stubbornness wouldn't allow you to see the opportunity right in front of you. Only your obsession with trying to fix what happened to Susan prevented you from moving on." He thumped his hoof against the ground in front of him, "And when Twilight helped you to get over that little bump in the road, I did what I had too. I had hoped that the spell would've lasted longer than it did."

I leaned forward and slammed my fists against the floor in challenge. "I can't just leave my life behind me! How did you even pull off that spell anyway?"

Far from being threatened at my reaction, he smiled deeply and even laughed at my act of aggression. "I could do what I did because you wanted me to. The mere fact that we're even having this conversation means that you want to stay, that you've been considering Luna's offer. Simply put, enough of your mind wanted to move on, which gave me the power to do what I did."

I leaned forward a little further and pressed my fists even harder into the ground, "I don't want to stay. I can't stay! I need to go back when I'm done here!"

My copy actually burst out laughing at me. After a few seconds he calmed down enough to speak. "Have you already forgotten? I am you! You can't lie to me, Harry." He pointed a hoof at me, "Besides, your mouth says one thing, but your body is saying something entirely different."

I looked down at the fists I had pressed into the ground, and realized that they had been replaced with black hooves. I craned my neck back and saw that the rest of my body had changed back to my unicorn form. Not only did I not notice the transition, but this form just felt instinctively right. I swished my tail across the ground as I wondered just how I couldn't have noticed the transition.

"Our life back in our world has been nothing but pain, misery, and constant strife," he said without breaking eye contact with me. "There's rarely been a full year where we haven't been in mortal peril back there."

I glared back at him, "That's only because I refuse to ignore the monsters that would normally prey on me and my friends. I protect those around me."

"And what has that gotten you?" he asked, a sneer appearing on his muzzle. "You fight to protect the innocent and save several lives in the process. Yet you live in a crappy apartment and the vast majority of those that go to you for help think of you as a mad man. If you went around Chicago levitating things or performing casual magic like you did earlier in Canterlot, what do you think would happen?"

"That's not the-"

"You would've been hunted down like one of the monsters you fight," he cut me off. "Normal humans don't like magic. They go out of their way to ignore magic. So if you were to show them the truth, they would either complain about the cheesy effects or would start quoting the Bible while sharpening pitchforks."

He gestured again and the image of my apartment was replaced with the Canterlot streets. The image focused on the same shopping center that I had spent most of the earlier part of my day at.

"You are accepted here, you are even respected here Harry," my doppelganger pleaded with me. "This is a world governed completely by magic, and you are a wielder of magic. This is the biggest no-brainer in the world."

I glanced down at my hooves and at my mother's silver pentacle amulet that still hung around my neck. "I can't just leave, the White Council still needs-"

"THE WHITE COUNCIL WANTS US DEAD!" he roared. "Or have you forgotten just how many times they tried to have us killed? They've tried to trip us up, to manipulate us into breaking one of their precious laws. So that then they'd have the excuse they needed to lop off our head!"

What he said was true. Most of the higher ups on the White Council wanted very much to see me dead. They have backed me into several tight corners in the hopes of tripping me up before. At one point the White Council even tried to offer me up to the Red Court on a silver platter in the hopes of buying peace. To them I was just another warlock, and I would always be a warlock.

I shook my head again, "Not everybody in the White Council is like that. McCoy isn't like that, he-"

"Lied to us, Harry," he cut me off again. "McCoy hammered his values and his lessons into us, he taught us to respect mortal life and treasure it above all else. All the while he was the council's Black Staff, their assassin. He was walking around with written permission to ignore the same values he drilled into you. He's been lying to you since day one, so why should you give a damn what he thinks?"

I lay down and tried to find a decent legitimate counter argument to his reasoning, but nothing came to mind. How could it, after all I was trying to fight against my own logic.

He didn't wait for a response. "We have far too many enemies Harry, and nowhere near enough friends back home. If we go back there, sooner or later we will wake up to find a dagger in our chest. The most troubling part is that you don't know if it'll be one of your enemies or your allies that delivers the final blow."

I sat back up and glared back at my doppelganger. "It's just not right. I can still fight. I can still try to make life better back home."

He paused for a second and picked his next words carefully. "Why do you do what you do?"

The question caught me off guard. "What?"

"It's a simple enough question, and it's a question you've been asked a few times. But you've yet to give a proper answer." He stretched in place and settled back down, tucking all four legs underneath him. "Why do you fight? Why must you be everyone's white knight? What is it that you want out of all the conflict?"

I hesitated for a moment, thinking about my answer. "Sometimes bad things happen to good people. It's not their fault, so I help them."

"You're driven by something as generic as injustice?" He smiled and shook his head. "Nope, try again."

My head drooped as I tried to ignore the thought that immediately came to mind. I knew damn well why I fought so hard to protect those around me. I wanted what any man wanted out of life, I wanted a peaceful existence. I wanted a small house with a nice lawn. I wanted to be able to not have to worry about vampires hunting me wherever I went. I wanted a wife to share my life with, to share my thoughts and worries with. Maybe even a kid or two to raise and care for.

My doppelganger evidently could read my thoughts. He flashed his teeth at me in a wide grin, "Exactly Harry. You fight because you want to create your own little slice of heaven. You think that by fighting to protect those around you, you are helping to create that peaceful world. You even admitted it to Twilight and her friends. You told them that the life they lead has been your dream for quite some time."

"But that's just it, a dream!" I yelled back at him. "Power like mine attracts all kinds of trouble. I can't create the kind of life I want. It's just not going to happen."

He looked at me with sad eyes, "What if you could?" He swept his hoof to his side again. The image of the Canterlot shopping center changed again, this time resolving into the front of Twilight's library. "Twilight has just as much power as you do, perhaps even a little more, and she lives in relative peace. Why can't you?"

I froze and considered the possibilities. For the first time since coming to Equestria, I considered what would happen if I didn't leave.

"The only true hazard here is the Red Court, and that's still because of our world," he pressured. "We can find true peace here. We can survive here." He gestured with his hoof again, and Twilight materialized in front of her house. "We can build a future here, away from the dangers of our past."

I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to just abandon the White Council, even though they are massive backstabbing hypocrites. But I couldn't just ignore what he said. The possible happiness he promised was something that I wanted more than I would ever admit. He was right, I didn't want to leave. But could I live with myself if I simply abandoned my previous life?

"The spell I cast didn't alter your emotions Harry." My double shrugged. "Well, maybe it caused a bit of that paranoia you had earlier. But the joy you felt at openly using magic, and being around other ponies that actually cared about you, was entirely your own."

"What about Michael? I can't keep him here. He has a family, a wife and kids to get back to," I argued with myself, trying to create an argument so that the decision didn't come down to just what I wanted.

"Then let him leave. Finish your business here then let him go home. You don't have to go with him," he countered.

I settled back down on the floor and rubbed a hoof on either side of my head. "I… I don't…"

A loud rumbling shook us as the whole dream world began to shake and splinter.

Extremely faint voices could be heard off in the distance, "Whats wrong with him?"

"I don't know, he's completely nonresponsive."

"Wake up, Harry! Please wake up!"

My double craned his head as he looked around, and then sighed heavily. "Damn it, I guess we're out of time." He locked eyes with me and didn't waver an inch. "You will have to choose Harry, sooner or later, you will have to choose."

Then the ground under my hooves split open as one of the cracks reached me. I fell into the blackness of my mind. At the bottom of the black pit was a small glimmer of light. After a second I noticed that light was racing up to meet me rather fast.


	14. Chapter 14

**Flesh Masks Ch. 14**

A loud buzzing rang in my ears and a blinding light bit into my retinas, despite my eyes being shut as tightly as I could. I considered trying to lift my head from the rather comfortable pillows it lay on, and was immediately wracked by extreme fatigue and soreness. So I resolved to not move a single muscle, and did so carefully. The buzzing in my ears began to die down as I heard several familiar voices speaking nearby.

"I was afraid of this," said a deep feminine voice that I recognized as Luna.

"What's wrong with him?" whispered a barely audible voice that could only belong to Fluttershy.

"The damage is identical to the ponies I tried to control over a thousand years ago. Somepony has messed with his mind," Luna lectured.

A deep baritone voice whispered next to my left ear, just audible enough for me to make out the words, "Father, lord in Heaven, protect this kind man's heart. Do not allow the darkness to claim him."

While I generally put little value in Michael's prayers, warmth emanated from him as he prayed. A warmth that was extremely soothing to my aching joints.

"But I thought that Celestia destroyed all the books that described how to do that," said a clearly worried Twilight somewhere to my right.

"She did, so unless a unicorn has been doing a lot of experimentation, there are only a select few that could pull this off," said Luna. "My sister and I would be capable obviously, but we've done no such thing."

"The Red King, could he do this?" asked Twilight.

"That was my immediate thought, yes. But proximity is usually crucial when applying mental magic, plus…" A feeling of extreme cold washed over me as I could feel Luna's power probe my consciousness, and then retract quickly. "There is no longer any force acting on him, his thoughts are now his own. So the question is how much damage did he suffer, and when was the spell implemented. Has he been showing any signs of undue paranoia recently?"

_Hey, paranoia isn't a symptom. It's a way of life._

"He was a bit nervous yesterday in the Canterlot shopping center," answered a well spoken feminine voice I assumed belonged to Rarity. "Plus he was a little rude to the clothing salespony of the shop where I found him."

"Okay first, the shield thing I did in the Canterlot streets was just a precaution. Secondly that salespony was being a snob. My rudeness to him was justified," I spoke to the room at large. "And did you just say yesterday?" There was a complete silence for a solid couple of seconds, as they processed my sudden awakening.

I cracked open my eyes and sat up a little in my bed, the aches of my joints having receded to bearable levels. The noonday sun shone through a nearby window to fully illuminate the room. I shifted so that my head rested against the headboard of the bed I was in, and I drew up the sheets so as to better preserve the modesty that my tail and hind legs offered while standing.

The room where I lay was clearly in the hospital wing of the castle. Though there was a curious absence of most of the medical supplies I normally expected in such a room. The only actual medical tools I could see were a small cart of supplies next to my bed. Around my bed stood several of my friends, Michael kneeled to my left, Twilight sat on a large cushion to my right, and Luna, Fluttershy, and Rarity stood at the foot of my bed. I presumed that Applejack, Rainbow, and Pinkie were off training somewhere.

Fluttershy was the first to snap out of her surprise and immediately moved to my side to begin preliminary examinations, knocking Michael aside in the process.

"Hey! Watch where you sticking that thing!" I cried after spitting out the thermometer Fluttershy shoved into my mouth.

She murmured something inaudible in response and began wrestling with me in an attempt to get me to be still long enough to allow her to do nurse like things. She'd evidently become accustomed to having to treat patients that had to be restrained.

"Hey let go!" I cried out again as she used a combination of wings and hooves to pin down my forelegs.

"Please stop moving, I need to check your vitals," she murmured, raising her voice to above a hushed whisper. It was the only warning I got.

"I'm fine! Get off me!" I responded.

"SIT DOWN AND BE STILL!" she roared at me, her voice momentarily becoming even louder than Michael's was in Manehattan.

Her words completely bypassed my brain and went straight to the muscles controlling my limbs. While I was still ready and willing to continue trying to knock the mare off me, my body simply complied with her will and froze on the spot. Fluttershy pressed her advantage and positioned me into a sitting position on the bed and stuck the thermometer back into my mouth, before she continued doing technical nurse type things.

I glanced questionably at Twilight who was still busy gaping at Fluttershy's sudden outburst. Twilight shook herself of her confusion soon enough and leapt at me, stopping at the edge of my bed.

"Harry you're awake!" she exclaimed, and then her face became much more worrisome. "Are you okay? How do you feel?"

I waited until Fluttershy removed the thermometer before I responded. "Like I tried to tell Fluttershy, I'm perfectly fine."

"I beg to differ, Dresden," said Luna. "You've suffered a great deal of mental stress. You might not be thinking straight right now."

"I know, and I am thinking fine at the moment. I'll just have a headache for awhile." At these words, Fluttershy plopped a bag of ice on top of my head. "Now, did somepony say yesterday? How long have I been in here?"

"You've been unconscious for almost a full day," said Twilight. "You just started screaming and collapsed during your class early last afternoon. Do you remember how your head got twisted around?"

I nodded, "Yeah, and it wasn't the Red King. I just… had a conflict of interests."

"That must've been a substantial internal conflict then ," Luna offered. "When I looked at your mind, there were signs of a great deal of damage."

Fluttershy, satisfied that I was in good physical health, nodded me the all clear and backed off of my bed. I levitated the ice pack onto the bed and shambled off of it and into a standing position next to Michael.

"It's complicated, and personal. If it'll make you feel better I do want to have a quick talk with Michael," I said, hoping to placate them. Michael smiled and gave me an approving nod.

Luna considered my offer for a moment, and then nodded her head in the affirmative. "Very well Dresden." She turned her head to face Michael. "If you believe his judgment to be impaired, I trust that you will notify me accordingly."

Michael nodded at Luna, "Of course."

"Then I shall take my leave, I have some urgent business to attend to." Luna looked down at Rarity. "Would you please accompany me, I wish to test your skill with those new gems of yours."

It was only at these words that I noticed that Rarity was wearing a new set of belts that wound around her chest like Rainbow's bandolier for her crossbow bolts. Rarity's however housed the ten diamond knives that we'd purchased the previous day. Giving her look of something in between a gem focused fashion model and an assassin. I figured that the belts would most likely be covered when she donned her personal robes again.

A small factoid Luna had told me rose to the forefront of my mind and got me thinking. Luna's chief job at the moment was to keep the general population calm. The only real reason they wouldn't be calm would be if the Red Court presence was becoming increasingly noticeable.

_So what was Luna busy with?_

"Luna, are the disappearances still happening?" I asked solemnly.

Luna paused as she moved towards the door, one foreleg frozen in the air. She set it down slowly and turned around to face me, and I was forcibly reminded of how old she really was. Luna as I've always seen her has been very youthful, playful, and generally full of energy. The Luna I saw now was very nearly the opposite. Her eyes had become sunken, and several wrinkles caused by worry or stress had appeared all over her face. It was as though she had aged forty years in just a couple of seconds, although given that she's a near immortal being that may not be a fitting description.

"Yes, I'm sad to say," she replied, her voice becoming almost as soft as Fluttershy's. "Though it has slowed, thanks to you and Michael, but ponies are still disappearing from almost all the surrounding cities."

"How many?" I asked.

Luna's head drooped a little lower. "At the latest estimation, since they first came here… How long has it been? I tend to lose track of time easily."

No surprise there, beings that live for as long as Luna has tended to lose track of the passage of time.

"We're nearing two weeks now," Michael answered at once.

She nodded, "Then in almost two weeks, several hundred ponies have simply vanished from the surrounding cities."

A shocked silence accompanied her words as the broadness of our situation sunk in.

"What about Ponyville?" Twilight asked, fear creeping into her voice.

"Ponyville has remained relatively untouched," Luna offered. "They seem to be focusing on the larger populations, Fillydelphia, Manehattan and the like."

This cheered up Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy immensely. While they were still in a certain amount of danger, the news that their loved ones back in Ponyville were still alive gave them some much needed relief. Fluttershy and Rarity each smiled and sighed contentedly, while Twilight allowed herself to sink back into the large red cushion next to my bed.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I must make a statement for a local newspaper." Luna moved for the door and called over her shoulder, "Rarity, come along."

Rarity nodded and then both Luna and Rarity shuffled out of the room. Fluttershy followed soon after to attend to whatever other patients she had on her roster, leaving me alone with Michael and Twilight. I shifted awkwardly in place as they were both looking at me expectantly.

"Uh Twilight, would you go and practice your offensive magic for a bit? I need to talk to Michael," I instructed.

Her ears drooped slightly, "Are you sure? I'd like to help if I can." She paused in thought. "Besides I already know how to manipulate lightning, fire, and raw force like you showed me."

I rubbed a hoof against my forehead, just under my horn, "I swear I'm not going to be able to keep up with you at this pace. Just get creative. There are always new ways to implement your magic to specific situations. Think of a situation you're not fully prepared for and try to think of a spell to fit it."

Twilight got up from her cushion and slowly made her way to the door, "Alright, but I want to hear from you after you're done. Okay?"

I nodded, "Sounds good. Just, please don't start anymore fires. I've gotten enough complaint reports from maintenance already."

Twilight looked at me with indignation and stuck her nose in the air. "Those were not fires, they were progress."

I sighed and chuckled under my breath, "Well your progress is about to wallpaper my room with complaints."

She turned and trotted out of the door, calling out over her shoulder, "Alright, I'll keep the fireworks to a minimum. I'll see you later Harry."

Michael cleared his throat, unsubtly reminding me that we were the only ones left in the room. "So Harry, what's troubling you?"

I opened my mouth to start what I'm sure would've been a fairly awkward conversation, but was interrupted by a loud growling coming from my stomach. Giving me just the excuse I needed to buy a little time to think about what I wanted to say.

"Talk about it over lunch?" I asked.

Michael heaved a heavy sigh and nodded his head, "Fine Harry, but let's eat here. I don't really feel like leaving the castle."

With that we both walked out of the hospital wing and made our way back to the barracks. Michael, while always willing to give me some leeway, was determined to make sure that I didn't actually slip away. He walked either beside me or directly behind me the entire way back to the barracks, determined to see me fulfill my promise.

We reached the large double doors of the barracks in good time and pushed through them into the central area. As soon as the doors opened I was greeted once more by the many clangs and bangs of different ponies sparing. Though as more and more of them noticed my presence, the noise died down as they watched me to see what I might say or do.

_And why wouldn't they?_ I thought to myself. _In the span of two days, I've attacked one of my soldiers and had an apparent mental breakdown in front of my class. I doubt they trust me anymore._

This however was not the case. Though several of the guardsponies and soldiers there looked at me with varying amounts of skepticism, many more looked at me with apparent worry, almost as though they felt bad for their commander. This became more apparent when a pegasus mare approached me. The silver pentacle emblazoned on the small metal plate over her chest marked her as one of my battalion.

"Sir is there anything we can get you?" she offered.

I hesitated, completely thrown off by the apparent sympathy of those under my command. This was a vast improvement to the courtesy I've come to expect from the White Council. Granted having someone repeatedly spit on me to put me out if I was on fire would be an improvement from the White Council, but my point still stands.

I cast a sidelong glance at Michael who just shrugged and waited patiently beside me. "Uh sure, would you have somepony bring two pairs of lunch rations to my quarters?"

She smiled and chuckled, "No need." She craned her head to speak to the sparring room behind her. "Hey Blockade, bring the cart around front!"

A familiar stout chestnut coated earth pony stallion pushed a food cart towards us. As the cart neared I noted that it was laden with several prepackaged meals for the guardsponies and soldiers. I opted to simply levitate two of the meals in the air beside me to spare Michael having to carry one in his teeth.

"Thanks," I said to both of the soldiers.

"No problem," Blockade responded. He then wheeled the cart back towards the sparring ground, followed closely by the pegasus.

The only possible reasoning for this apparent sympathy that I could see was that we got everypony through the nastiness in Manehattan. I suppose I did technically lead them through it, even if Michael was the one giving the orders. But this kind of loyalty was very odd to me, not unpleasant, just not the treatment I'm used to.

Michael and I made our way up the nearby staircase to the second floor and our quarters. As we reached the second floor Michael's ears gave a definite twitch and he moved his head to look down the hallway opposite our rooms. A slight frown appeared on his muzzle and he moved to go down the hallway.

"Hey, where you going?" I called after him.

Without even slowing, he simply said, "Down here."

I sighed and shook my head, "I don't get you sometimes." I chased after him, the two packed meals zipping along behind me.

After several seconds the long hallway finally ended by opening into a large balcony overlooking Canterlot. The balcony was several times larger than was strictly necessary. The center was a large open area serving little purpose other than to offer a lot of room to move around, at the outer edge of the balcony stood a several tables with a couple seats around each. I looked down either side of the balcony and noticed that several similar balconies dotted the wall on either side, and then I realized the purpose of these oversized platforms. They provided a great view for anypony that wanted a scenic meal, but more importantly they offered large take off and landing zones for pegasi teams.

Michael swept his gaze over the balcony, and then over the land outside of Canterlot's walls. He sighed, shook his head in annoyance, and moved over to one of the nearby tables.

I followed him and set down the packaged meals on the table. "So, balcony picnic huh?"

Michael's ears continued to flick around as though trying to find the source of some noise. "Sorry, I thought I heard something."

I shrugged and took the seat opposite him, "Whatever, it's still a nice view."

There was a slight pop as I flicked the lids off the meals. Within the little plastic case was a fairly standard military meal, one large apple and a generous amount of grain. My stomach grumbled again and I greedily dug into the grain.

Michael hadn't moved an inch as he just sat on his seat and watched me, like a large white marble statue. "Harry, I'm waiting."

I swallowed my mouthful of grain and sighed before I got to the matter at hoof. "Michael, what do you do when you don't know what to do?" I asked, already guessing at his answer.

Michael's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but quickly returned to their normal steadiness. "I have faith Harry. I believe that things will work out as they are meant to."

I wasn't surprised by his answer, and I wasn't satisfied with it either. "That's not what I meant. I mean how do you, Michael Carpenter, make a… difficult decision."

Michael's eyes narrowed. "You're being evasive."

"I'm trying to be evasive."

"What is it that burdens you?"

"Note the above 'evasive' comment," I mocked.

Michael heaved a heavy sigh, realizing that he wasn't going to get anything concrete out of me if I didn't want him to. "I don't know what it is that's going on in your head, but I do know that at least you're back to normal. Only you would be this stubborn when someone's trying to help you."

I flashed him a wide smile, "Thank you, I take pride in that."

Michael straightened his back and chose his next words carefully. "As for whatever it is that's on your mind, I only have this to offer: Follow you heart. Whatever you do, do it because you believe it to be the right thing to do. So long as you do that, you'll never stray too far from the light"

_That sounds like some stupid fortune cookie and is about as helpful, but still…_

I looked down at my hooves, deep in thought. "What I think is right…" I muttered under my breath.

Michael waited to see if I would ask for any other advice, and when I didn't he finally dug into his tray of food. The rest of our lunch passed in relative peace, only the occasional passing pegasus broke the silence. Within a couple of minutes we had both finished our meals and sat contentedly in our seats.

As I was just about to get up and thank him for his time, Michael's ears went crazy again. Michael frowned and turned his attention towards the hills south of Canterlot's walls. He narrowed his eyes in concentration even while his ears continued twitching at the slightest sound.

"Something's wrong," he grumbled.

"Get some bad rations again?" I asked. Memories of getting a funky apple during my first week here and of what happened immediately after swam to the front of my mind. "I keep telling the cooks that spit shine doesn't work on bad apples."

"No," Michael mumbled, only half listening to what I said. "Something's just, wrong."

I felt a slight prickling on the back of my neck as the fur there stood on end. My instincts warned me to pay attention to what Michael said.

"Wrong how?" I asked, a sinking feeling dropping into my recently filled stomach.

"I don't know," he responded. Michael whipped his head around and got up from his seat. "I need to get some supplies. I'll see you later."

I just watched confused as Michael disappeared back into the castle. I looked in the same direction that he glanced at. The rolling hills were as green as ever and everything looked relatively serene. A few pegasi were drifting lazily across the sky while a train pulled into the Canterlot station. Celestia's sun was just beginning its descent over head, casting a slight orange light over everything. By all accounts it was an extremely peaceful view.

_So what did you sense?_

Given that Michael's inherent luck was in itself driven by his faith, I could only speculate as to what troubled him. But I haven't survived this long by ignoring possible dangers, so I got up and moved as fast as I could towards my room.

I galloped down the long hallway, rounded the corner, and burst through the door to my room. I walked over to my storage chest as the lid popped open in a flash of red energy. The various books, bags, and random trinkets within floated into the air in the same red nimbus as I searched for my prize. I found what I was looking for folded neatly under my saddlebag.

I dropped my thick spell layered overcoat onto my back and locked the clasps over my chest into place. I relaxed a bit at the knowledge that I was now slightly harder to rend into pieces. I unceremoniously dumped the rest of the chest's contents back inside.

I was about to close the lid when something caught my eye in the chest. I levitated the curious object back into the air and recognized it as the Smarty Pants doll I got for Twilight.

I thought back to when I bought it the previous day. I remember getting it in the hopes that it would make Twilight happy. I wasn't really in my right mind at the time, but the thought of seeing her happy still made me smile.

_Hmmm, maybe I should just go ahead and give it to her._

A sudden realization of where this particular logic train was going made me almost drop the doll.

"Nope nope nope," I muttered to myself. "Keep your head in the game. Find vampires, kill vampires, go home…" I sighed heavily, "and fight more vampires. I'm starting to think my life kind of sucks."

I levitated the extra roll of linen I'd also bought and wrapped the doll inside it. I then set the wrapped up doll at the bottom corner of my storage chest.

"There, out of sight out of mind." I threw the rest of the chest's contents back in, closed it, and made my way out of my room. I went back down stairs and into the main sparing center of the barracks.

The room was bustling again with the sound of clangs and bangs as the soldiers and guardsponies were finishing up their lunches and went back to their training or duties. I searched for Twilight among the throng, but to no avail. I assumed she must be in one of the smaller practice rooms, waiting for me to come in and start another lesson.

In the corner of the room I saw the rest of my little group that wasn't in the hospital wing with me. Applejack, Rainbow, and Pinkie were all eating their own late lunches and laughing over some random story one of them had said. I didn't want to disturb them so I left them alone and instead stopped one of the random soldiers walking around.

"Hey, hold up," I called to a rather slender unicorn stallion. The silver pentacle on his chest plate marked him as another of my battalion.

He immediately snapped to attention, "Commander." His gaze turned curious as I drew nearer. "How are you feeling today, sir?"

"Like I want you all to stop asking me that," I retorted. "Anyway, have you seen Twilight Sparkle around?"

"The firebug? Yeah, she's in that practice room." He pointed towards closed door in the far corner of the sparing center.

_Firebug? That's a little harsh. She's started a few fires sure, but not that many._

"Thanks." I turned and almost left for the door he'd indicated, but Michael's odd behavior reminded me of a possible threat. "Hey wait, can you send a message to whoever's in charge of the guardsponies?"

"What do you want me to say?" he asked.

"Tell them to increase the guard tonight. To get whatever guards they can spare and have them patrol the city streets and the air above them." After a second of consideration I added, "And tell them to pay a little extra attention to the southern approach."

"What if they ask 'why'?"

"Let's just call it a hunch," I responded. "Or if that's not good enough, just make up a reason."

"Anonymous tip got it." He saluted once more, and then galloped off to carry my message.

With my paranoia sated, I turned around again and walked up to the door of Twilight's practice room. I knocked a few times before I finally pushed it open and stepped through.

"Alright Twilight, now what did you want to practice…" I froze in place after I moved a couple of feet into the room. Some survival instincts taking hold of my legs as I gaped at the sight before me. "Holy mother…"

In the center of the room was a dragon, just slightly taller than Twilight. It looked fairly typical for a dragon, it had a long jaw line with several mean looking teeth, it had long claws and sharp spines running down its back, and it even had a pair of large wings. Judging from the lengths and placements of the joints in its legs, I guessed it would be able to move on two legs just as easily as four.

Oh, and the entire thing was on fire. I don't mean that somepony simply set it on fire, no its flesh was created out of pure flame. This thing was a magical construct.

"Look at what I made!" cried Twilight while waving a hoof excitedly at the construct.

_Suddenly that firebug title doesn't seem too far off._

"T-Twilight, what is this?" I stammered.

Evidently she was too wrapped up in her accomplishment to notice my completely rational fear. "I found a book about magical constructs in the military wing of the royal library a little while ago. I've been flipping through it and toying with the formulae until I could create this." She gestured at the construct again. "I modeled it after Spike during his greed binge. I figured it'd be useful in a fight, though it doesn't last all that long. It saps too much energy from the environment to sustain itself, so at most it'll last a couple of minutes."

The dragon had evidently just noticed my presence and had decided to position itself firmly between me and Twilight.

"Twilight, what's it doing?"

It lowered itself to the ground and dug its claws into the hard stone floor.

"Uh, it's… Oh no," Twilight muttered from the construct's other side.

"Oh no? What's 'Oh no'? I don't like 'Oh no'!" I shouted as I took a few steps backward. My flank bumped into the wall behind me. The construct's eyes tracked my every move.

"Well it doesn't have an actual consciousness. It's just a series of programmed responses."

"So why is it looking at me like I'm food?"

"Well I programmed it to protect me from enemy threats, but I don't think I did the ally recognition right," she said in an increasingly frantic voice.

"Then that would make me…"

"A threat," she completed the statement.

The construct chose that moment to hurl itself at me, flaming claws and fangs extended to rip me apart. I let out the manliest shriek I could muster and began racing around the room, doing whatever I could to keep ahead of the construct.

"What do I do?" Twilight shouted at me.

"It's your construct, reprogram it!" I shouted back.

"That'd take time, and I need it to hold still for the entire process."

I shot a wave of force at the dragon, tripping it up momentarily. I probably could've simply held it in place for a time if I had to. But if I tried, and it was too powerful to be held down, then when the spell failed would be the chance it would need to charge at me. I put that plan in the 'last ditch effort' category.

"Can you cut off the source of its energy?" I asked.

"No, it's a construct. It's driven by the power I've already given it and the energy in the immediate environment," she responded. "It won't last much longer, just run down the clock!"

"Why don't you try it then!" I shouted as the construct regained its footing and returned to chasing me.

The dragon closed several feet and launched itself at me again with the aid of its wings. I made a sudden sharp turn and continued running in the opposite direction. As I ran past the construct I noticed that something was obscuring its vision. I saw that its head was enveloped in a strange thick black fog, right before it slammed headfirst into the wall I'd just turned at.

I didn't question the good luck and pressed the advantage. I stepped forward and bound the construct's forelegs/arms and it's head with simple force magic. Twilight appeared next to me and did the same to its hind legs and tail.

It struggled against its bounds, but couldn't break through our combined power. It thrashed and roared in a strange modulated tone that sounded more like rocks grinding against each other than an actual roar. After about thirty to forty seconds the clock finally wound down and it lost the energy necessary to hold itself together, that is to say the entire thing exploded as the energy in its form was released. A wall of force and thick smoke hit Twilight and me, and I had the great misfortune to open my mouth at the exact wrong moment.

I staggered around for a bit coughing and spitting soot from my mouth while my vision cleared. I looked over myself to address any possible damages. To my relief I wasn't hurt in any serious manner, though I was covered from head to hoof in black soot. This wasn't really noticeable in my already black mane and tail, but it gave me a coat to match.

Twilight was having similar issues. She too was now colored pitch black all over her body. Her mane was also blown backwards and was sticking up in the air in random directions, as though she'd just been skydiving with Rainbow.

I began laughing at the absurdity of her appearance, not caring at all about my own. She merely frowned at me and began trying to scrub off the soot. I continued chuckling to myself and tried to control my breathing as the adrenaline left my system.

"Well now, that was exciting," said a feminine voice that came out of nowhere.

I craned my head to look around the room, searching for the source of the noise.

"You heard that right?" I asked Twilight. "Or have I finally lost it?"

"No, I heard it too," Twilight responded.

In the blink of an eye, Rarity just appeared in front of us. One second there was just empty space, the next there was a white unicorn smiling at us, completely untouched by the soot. It took my adrenaline drunk brain a second to shift gears and process what just happened.

I smiled widely at her, "Nice veil, Rarity."

Rarity raised a hoof to straighten her mane. "Thank you Dresden. It's something I've been perfecting with Princess Luna. I can't really spread it to anypony else for too long, but I can hold the veil over myself with minimal effort."

Twilight stopped in her futile effort to clean the soot off and peered suspiciously at Rarity, "Why were you hiding under a veil?"

Rarity stuck her nose in the air at Twilight's accusatory tone. "It was a demonstration. I'm supposed to keep Dresden up to date on my lessons." She smiled and chuckled a little, "Plus I wanted to watch your lesson. That was quite the show, and I only intervened when it was necessary." I thought back to the black fog around the construct's head.

Rarity's answer clearly didn't satisfy Twilight. Twilight continued frowning and grumbling at Rarity as she returned to trying to remove the soot from her fur. Now I don't know that much about women, in fact what I do know about them wouldn't even fill a tea cup. I have however been around enough angry women to know some of the warning signs. The carefully controlled face that Twilight was wearing practically screamed at me to either try to diffuse a situation that I knew nothing about, or run like hell itself was on my tail. I chose the latter.

"Okay well that was... exciting," I said while carefully back stepping towards the door. "Rarity, keep up the good work. Twilight, I'll we'll pick this back up later today." My flank finally came in contact with the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go jump in a lake. Bye!"

I bucked the door open with one of my hind legs and hopped through it before it closed again. In the few seconds before the door closed I looked back inside. Rarity was still curling her mane with her hoof, and Twilight looked back at me with a certain amount of confusion in her eyes. When the door finally shut I let out an audible sigh of relief.

_I dodged that bullet._

I turned around with the intention of going to the nearest shower, but stopped short when I realized that entirety of the sparring room was staring at me. Even Applejack, Rainbow, and Pinkie broke out of their conversation to gape at me. I became acutely aware that I was still completely covered in black soot.

I cleared my throat and tried to keep a straight face as I spoke to the entire sparring center. "Twilight learned a new spell."

Several of the ponies nodded in comprehension and continued on with their various duties. I smiled and made my way towards the barrack's showers.

I spoke to one of the guards still staring at me as I passed by them, "Tell the janitorial crew that they have some work to do." I paused and added as an afterthought, "You can also tell them to put their complaint letter on my desk with all the others."

With that done I trotted off, leaving a trail of black hoof prints behind me.

* * *

Despite the fact that I'd been unconscious for fully half of the day, I still felt like I had a full and busy workday. The rest of my day after the fiasco with Twilight's construct went along like I was back on my established routine.

I sorted through any of the personal requests of those under my command, most of which involved requests for additional fire safety gear. I watched as Applejack, Pinkie, and Rainbow continued in their respective sparring sessions. I even took to the track to try and work on my cardio, though I didn't dare go into any sparring sessions against my team. I'm not a bad in a scrap, but I rely heavily on my magic for any kind of actual combat. My general philosophy was that if something is big enough to get through my magic, then I don't want to be anywhere near punching distance.

I spotted Michael a few times throughout the day, but couldn't get him to slow down long enough to finish a conversation. Whenever I saw him he was busy galloping off somewhere, checking equipment, or organizing the soldiers. Just before I went to dinner I spotted him talking to a large group of the guardsponies that had been reassigned per my request.

I still had no idea what had him so nervous or how he was keeping up the pace all day. I can have my paranoid periods too but they don't last this long, not usually anyway. I was on board with Michael for a bit, but after the relatively peaceful day even I couldn't keep up my vigilance. As the day shuffled on my thoughts drifted more and more towards my soft bed and the books on advanced magic that I hadn't got around to yet.

My day only began winding down when Twilight met up with me after dinner to continue her favorite pastime, using me as a sounding board for her ideas of new spells.

The moon was just starting to rise as we both sat in my personal room in the barracks. I lay on my bed with a small stack of mail that I was sorting through, while Twilight had pulled in several supplies to set up for the idea bouncing session. She had pulled in the same large red cushion I'd seen in the hospital room earlier and set it a little away from my bed. She'd also brought several library books and piled them on my desk, and even set up a small whiteboard for her to scribble on. Twilight was sitting on the large cushion and was engrossed in whatever book it was that had caught her eye.

I took the opportunity to try and get through my stack of mail. Predictably, the very first letter was from the janitorial service of the castle. I skimmed over it, looking for any important details. There were only the usual complaints about "unsatisfactory work environments" and "undue property damage". Near the end of the letter were a few vague threats at unionizing. I threw the letter into the nearby trash bin.

The second letter was an official note from Luna. It stated that after Luna had a talk with Michael, she had seen fit to return me to active duty. Although why I was getting this letter now, as opposed to earlier in the day when I was already working was beyond me. This too, went into the trash bin.

The rest were 'thank you' letters from the families of the ponies we'd rescued in Manehattan. I opened a few and skimmed them, stopping a few times to smile at their appreciation. These letters went into my storage chest.

It was around when I was wrapping up my second 'thank you' letter that Twilight took her nose out of her book and finally spoke. "Okay so if we take the basic teleportation spell and focus it through small rings of attuned crystals, then we could in theory create miniature point to point portals. But maintaining the portal is going to be tricky." She looked back at me, "Any ideas on how to stabilize it?"

I shook my head, "Twilight, I can't even begin to wrap my head around what you just said. I haven't even touched on the complexities of teleportation yet."

She smirked at me, "And here I thought you were supposed to be my teacher."

"When did that happen? The other day you said I was your assistant." I smiled back at her.

"In that case why don't you fetch me that book on ancient magic, assistant," she said, trying to suppress a fit of the giggles.

I levitated said book over and plopped on top of her head like a hat. "There you go, your book and a new hat all in one."

She laughed and set the book on the ground. "Hey Harry?"

"Hmm?" I grunted while pulling one of the other books closer.

"What's your home life like?" she asked. "I mean you've told us about your job back where you're from, but what about when you're not working? What do you do then?"

I rubbed a hoof over my neck, "There's not much of a noticeable difference. My work life and my personal life run a close parallel and often intermingle, so it's really just more of the same. That is to say large amounts of prep work broken up by the semi-regular occurrences of pain, fury, despair, and if I'm very lucky a happy moment before the next horror shows up to ruin my day."

Twilight's eyes grew large with sympathy at my words. She looked away before muttering, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," I responded. "You'd be surprised what you can get used to when your daily allowance of weird is high enough."

_Talk about your case in point._

Without making the conscious effort, my eyes traveled over to my storage chest and to what I knew to be hidden inside. I considered the value of the doll I'd placed there, and what it could represent if I let it out.

"Twilight, would you mind if I asked you for some advice?" I asked.

She turned back to face me, eager to hear what I had to say. "Please do."

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what exactly to ask. I decided on a generic, if relevant philosophy question. "If you could change who you were for the better, would you?"

Twilight considered that for a long while. "Well I suppose that would depend heavily on the circumstances of the pony in question. Though I guess I-" She was cut off before she could finish her thought.

Alarm bells began ringing. Loud piercing notes reverberated throughout the castle and into my room. Several cries and howls could be heard in between the ringing of the bells, the cries were loud and sharp. They instilled an instinctual fear in me that only a predator can create.

Without missing a beat I jumped off of my bed and bolted out of my room, with Twilight chasing after me. We galloped down the long hallway leading to the balcony as fast as our legs could carry us. We reached the end of the balcony and stopped to see what all the commotion was.

My blood turned to ice as I looked upon Canterlot, vampires were everywhere. There were more vampires than I had ever seen in one place before. More hoarse cries were heard as several black shapes simply clawed their way up and over Canterlot's walls. Several more began pooling at the base of the walls and started moving into the city.

The Red Court had launched an all out invasion of Canterlot.


	15. Chapter 15

**Flesh Masks Ch. 15**

I barreled down the hallway leading away from the balcony. Twilight was racing along right beside me.

"Where are the others?" I yelled over the sound of the screeches of the Red Court and of the panicked screams of the ponies of Canterlot as they became aware of their danger. My heart began pounding its way into my throat as, for the second time that day, a large amount of adrenaline hit my system.

"I think they're in their rooms next to ours," Twilight said in a panicked voice. "But Fluttershy told me that she'd taken the late shift in the hospital wing, so she's probably still there."

We rounded the corner and our individual rooms came into view. "Round them up, and then get your overcoat. Leave Fluttershy where she is, she'll be busy soon enough."

Twilight nodded at me and began hammering on her friends' doors. I ignored them and charged into my room. After nearly breaking down my own door, I stood in the center of my room and looked around wildly for the little weave of silver and rubies that was my shield charm. I had removed it shortly after I had settled down on my bed and grabbed my mail. The small ring was an extremely useful tool, but it irritated the soft tissue near the base of my horn if I wore it for extended periods of time.

I spotted the silver ring sitting on my desk in plain sight. I immediately grabbed it in my telekinetic grip and slipped it onto my horn.

_This doesn't make any damn sense,_ I thought to myself as I made sure that the charm was snug against my horn. _The Red Court isn't this forward. This is the center of Equestria's power and the Equestrian military, so why would they risk attacking it? What are they after?_

I knew that Michael was getting increasingly twitchy as they day went on so I was expecting some kind of Red Court movement, but not this. I was expecting a scouting party, a sabotage scheme, or at worst an assassination attempt. The Red Court likes to make sure that their first big move is a lethal one, so they generally do prep work to ensure that it is. Though for all I knew they could've already done just that and we hadn't noticed it.

_No, that doesn't add up. Michael would've noticed something if any vampires were near enough to Canterlot to do anything major. Then again all my experience is with the Red Court and its king back on Earth, this new Red King could have an entirely different method of operations._ I shuddered at the thought. _If that's the case then my experience against them as a whole is worthless now._

Content that the charm wouldn't slip of at an inopportune moment, I straightened the overcoat that I was still wearing and moved towards the door. As I left my room I found Twilight and her friends waiting for me. To my slight surprise most of them were already geared up and ready to go. Applejack, Rainbow, and Pinkie were standing outside of their respective rooms, already fully geared in their respective armors. Pinkie even had that war hammer I'd seen her use in Manehattan strapped to her back. Twilight and Rarity stood a few steps away and were struggling to slip into their overcoat and robes. As Rarity stuck her head through her dark robes, I noticed the bandolier of knives around her chest.

"Harry, what in tarnation is goin' on?" Applejack demanded, her curling horned helmet adding several points to her intimidation factor as she spoke.

"You remember that bet you made with Rainbow?" I asked.

"About who could take down more vampires? Yeah," she responded.

I swept my eyes over the rest of them to make sure that they were ready. "We're about to put it to the test."

Their faces turned several shades paler as my words sunk in.

Rarity, who had just finished putting her robes on, spoke up first, "The Red Court is here, in Canterlot?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but Twilight beat me to the punch. "Yes Rarity, they are. Now come on, they need us in the city," she said right as she finished latching the last clasp of her overcoat.

Something odd drew my attention at this point. Pinkie was being unusually silent during all of the preparations. When I put her under closer scrutiny I noticed that she was looking at Twilight with a disturbing look on her face. Pinkie wore the sort of pained sympathy you'd show to a grieving friend. I didn't like that look, I didn't like it at all.

Before I could inquire further, I was interrupted by a shout coming from the stairs behinds us, "Commander!"

I turned around and saw a messenger in basic guard armor running towards us, slightly out of breath. "What is it?" I asked the messenger.

"I have word from your second, Michael. He has taken your battalion and the bulk of the castle's garrison and is now sweeping through the city. He asks that you and your team follow and look for high value targets," the messenger said, and then stopped to catch his breath.

"How'd he manage that so fast?" Rainbow asked as she finished fastening her crossbow to her foreleg. "The alarms have only just started going off."

The messenger recomposed himself after a second. "He assembled the battalion in the sparing room. He was speaking with them when the alarms went off. It was pure luck that they were all there and prepared at the same time."

I felt a massive smile spread across my muzzle, "That wasn't luck, that was Michael." I looked over my back at my team, "You all heard him, let's get out there." With that Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow, Applejack, Twilight and I galloped as fast as we could for what promised to be nightmare fuel for many nights to come.

As we charged through Canterlot castle, I got to see how exactly the defenders of a relatively peaceful realm respond to an emergency. To my slight surprise, all of the soldiers and guardsponies left in the castle were responding the crisis with an ordered urgency. Fully armed and armored ponies moved to their respective assigned positions in tight formations, a slight contrast to me and my team barreling for the city as fast as we could.

As soon as we cleared the castle's front gates, we ran into a slight problem. The citizens of Canterlot had all begun fleeing the city proper and retreating into the castle. Several hundred terrified ponies were galloping up the long stretch of road leading up to the castle. The entirety of the vampire forces seemed to still be trying to move through the city. Over all of the frightened yells of the citizens, I heard the unmistakable sounds of combat coming from Canterlot proper. Slowed as we were, trying to move through the crowd of fleeing ponies, we redoubled our efforts to push through them and to help fend off the vampires.

Soon enough we broke through the crowd and into the portion of the city nearest the castle. This particular portion had yet to be touched by the combat raging in the rest of the city. Which was just as well seeing as several stragglers could still be seen galloping towards the castle.

"Rainbow," I shouted above me. "I need eyes in the air. Get up there and tell me what you see."

Without hesitation she soared high enough into the sky to get a good look at the city, while still remaining within earshot. "Dresden, I see fighting throughout most of the city. Though it looks like they're focusing on the main shopping street, and so are Michael and the battalion. But Harry… it's not going well."

"How not well are we talking?" Applejack shouted.

"Michael's keeping their attention, but he's losing ground." Rainbow hesitated for a minute, her gaze going off to one side. "Hang on, something weird's happening. It looks like a small group of them are breaking off and moving through the smaller streets. Are they running from the fight?"

I stomped my hoof into the street, "Damn it! They're not running, they're flanking. They're going to circle around and hit Michael from behind."

"Unless we get to them first," Twilight spoke up. "I'd say a flanking team counts as a high value target."

I nodded to Twilight, "Sounds good." I looked up at Rainbow and shouted, "Lead the way." Rainbow zoomed off, using her view to lead the rest of us on an intercept course with Red Court team.

While the majority of the vampires were in the central street fighting Michael, there were many scattered throughout Canterlot. These vampires were either driven feral by their blood thirst, or else were searching for any possible recruits that may have been to slow to flee the city. As we sped through the city we came across several scattered soldiers and guardsponies that had broken off from the main group to try and pick off the lone vampires before they could do too much damage.

We came across one of Celestia's personal guard being slowly backed into a corner while trying to fend off a vampire unicorn. Applejack made quick work of the distracted vampire with the use of her chained scythe. After Applejack was finished severing the vampire's spinal column, the guard thanked us and galloped off in the direction of Michael's defending line.

Not long after that, we stumbled across a rather gruesome sight. We found two guardsponies and one of my battalion down one of the side alleyways. The poor bastards had been ripped to bloody shreds. On their remains were two vampires that had clearly gone completely feral, and were too distracted by their meal to notice the extremely pissed off wizard moving towards them. I left their smoldering corpses plastered against the alley wall.

After my slight tantrum, we continued down one of Canterlot's side streets following Rainbow's lead. About halfway down the street a sudden outcry made us all stop in our tracks. It sounded like children crying, and it was coming from somewhere on the other side of a nearby wall.

"Do you all hear that?" Rarity asked.

Rainbow, who hadn't heard a thing, hovered above us and shifted from side to side impatiently. "What's going on down there? The vampires are getting close."

More muffled voices came through the wall as we stopped to listen. "Captain, they're breaking through the doors!"

"Ready your spears! Keep them away from the foals!"

That was all I needed to hear to get involved. I moved to the wall and slammed my hoof against it as hard as I could. "This is Dresden. If you can hear me, move away from the wall!" I backed away from the building and my horn glowed as I started building pressure against the bricks in front of me. A round pane of red energy pressed against the wall, it grew in size and brightness as I channeled more and more energy into it. "Stand clear!" I shouted, and drove my will against the sheet of energy like a battering ram. The wall crumbled and a sizable hole large enough for several ponies to move through was made.

"Out the back! Let's move!" yelled the same authoritative tone as before.

A small crowd of eight to ten foals ran crying out of the building and crowded around our hooves. Following them seven heavily armored guardsponies and one of my battalion rushed out of the same hole to stop in front of us.

Before anypony could start explaining about this or that, I had to make sure that whatever was breaking through the building's doors couldn't follow them through the same hole that I'd made. "Twilight, Rarity, cover their tracks," I called over my shoulder.

Both unicorns nodded and pushed pass the trembling foals to block the vampires' path. With a simple flicker of light, Twilight threw a small ball of fire into the building. The ball hit the floor inside and splashed what looked like lava over most everything nearby it. In short order the rest of the room caught fire and grew into an inferno. Then Rarity stepped forward to work her magic. With a slightly brighter flash of light, the raging inferno before me turned back into the makeshift barricade the guardsponies were using. To wrap up the illusion, Rarity cast another spell to make the wall look whole again, as though I had never broken it down. The vampires would eventually break through the door and would charge into the apparently empty and intact room. They wouldn't realize that they were walking into a furnace until they already had all four clawed feet planted firmly in their graves.

The member of my battalion, the captain I assumed, snapped to attention and addressed me, "Commander, thanks for coming when you did. Michael was leading us towards the vampires when we heard about a group of foals holed up in this house. So I took some guards, found them, and immediately got trapped."

"And got out alive," I added. I looked up at Rainbow, who was still waiting impatiently a couple dozen feet in the air. "Rainbow, where are they?"

"One street over and getting closer," she responded.

I got a slight sinking feeling in my stomach. The kind of feeling you get when you realize that you assumed something you shouldn't have.

"Harry," Twilight whispered right next to me. "If this was a flanking team, shouldn't they have turned around by now?"

I nodded and whispered back, "Yes, which means that they're probably after something specific."

"Any idea what?" she asked.

From behind the wall and Rarity's illusions, I heard the distinct sound of wood being strained and ripped apart. Shortly after, we heard several hoarse screams as the vampires moved into the building and realized their fatal mistake. Rarity dropped her illusions and the screams were soon drowned out by the roaring fire.

I sneered and looked in the direction that Rainbow had indicated, "No idea, but I do know who we can ask." I turned back around to face the group of guardsponies. "If you're free, I think I could use a few more hooves."

The captain saluted, "Of course sir." He turned around and began barking orders to the guardsponies, "You two take the foals and make for the castle. The rest of you are with the Commander."

The guardsponies saluted the captain and began carrying out his orders. One of the unicorn guards took the foals by the simple expedient of lifting them all into the air and galloped off for the castle, followed closely by a pegasus guard. The rest numbered three heavily armored earth ponies, one unicorn, and two pegasi crossbowmen.

With the new reinforcements in tow, we wasted no time and cut in-between some buildings to get to the correct street that the vampires would soon be strolling down. The street in question was fairly typical of the name. It was wide enough to allow a great deal of movement for many ponies, so we would not be easily restricted. The far end of the street turned and vanished behind a few nondescript buildings. Around that corner, several shadows were being cast by the movement of forces just out of sight.

Without needing to be told we all made a standard defensive line in the street. The earth ponies formed an angry wall of meat and steel in front of us, with Applejack at the center and Pinkie slightly behind her. The unicorns, including me, lined up behind them and began running through preparations for our respective choices in spells. Rainbow and the other two pegasi took to a nearby rooftop overlooking the street.

For a brief couple of seconds we all just stood there, becoming increasingly tense. In front of me every muscle of Pinkie's body suddenly tensed and she began shaking uncontrollably. She looked over her back to glance at Twilight, and then turned to look at me. The look of fear and despair on her face caused shards of ice to begin forming in my blood stream.

She knew something. Her innate power was telling her that either something horrible was about to happen or that something has happened. Given our current environment, it terrified me to think of what it was that had caught her attention.

Pinkie opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't seem to find the right words. Instead she just looked meaningfully at Twilight and returned to her position next to Applejack. Twilight, whose eyes were shut as she ran through her practiced spells, didn't notice a thing. I didn't know what it was that she had felt, or how it was supposed to involve Twilight, but I didn't care. I had promised Twilight's parents that I would protect their daughter in her insane quest to help me, and some stupid twitches weren't going to stop me.

At the end of the street the first of the vampires started rounding the corner and slowly walked toward us. They didn't notice us at first. They were too busy conversing amongst themselves about whatever their plans were.

"Dresden, you got a plan?" Applejack whispered over her shoulder at me.

"Well first we need to get their attention on you," I responded.

"How do you intend to pull that off?" Twilight asked.

I gave a side long look and a slight smile to Rarity, "I was thinking something flashy and over the top."

She thought about that for a second before responding, "You get them looking over here, and I'll make sure their attention is on them." Rarity gestured at Applejack and the other earth ponies.

A wicked smile played over my face as I turned back to face the vampires still oblivious of us. "I think can handle that."

I packed a substantial amount of energy into my horn before I launched my attack. I wanted it to be an eye catcher after all. When I was satisfied that it would do the job, I sent a fireball roughly the size and shape of my first car screaming down the street at the vampires. The fireball made contact with the front most vampire and very nearly disintegrated it. On impact the fireball detonated with a bright eye catching display of light and fire. One or two other vampires were near enough to receive some burns of their own, but most of them moved away at the last minute, and all of them were now looking right at us.

The moment I launched my attack, I felt Rarity work her magic on the environment around us. The shadows shifted to cover the unicorns' line and the rooftop where the pegasi were waiting. While she was making us harder to see, she focused what little light there was to illuminate Applejack and the other earth ponies. The light playing off their armor was nothing short of blinding and demanded the attention of anything looking in their direction.

The vampires howled their challenge and charged at us, their claws leaving long gauges in the street beneath them.

Applejack shook herself slightly and loosened her chained scythe. "Okay I think we have their attention. What's step two?"

I began drawing in more power for a second strike. "Step two?"

The first of the charging vampires came within jumping distance and threw itself almost twenty feet at the earth ponies, its claws and teeth ready to cause as much mayhem as they could. Around the apex of its leap Applejack's scythe flashed across the street and buried itself into the vampire's throat. With another twist Applejack used the vampire as an improvised flail to swat another out of the air, sending both of them sprawling across the street and left one of them bleeding out.

"I'm beginning to question your plan," Applejack said as she drew back her weapon for another throw.

I felt a significant amount of energy leave me as I launched gout of flame at the charging vampires. This time I chose to form the spell as a wide wave of flame as opposed to the precise strike earlier, perhaps not quite as lethal but still annoying as hell to run through. "You can question all you want, just kill something while you do."

"Will you two quit arguing, I'm trying to concentrate," Twilight muttered. The air around her thrummed with power as she began throwing spell after spell at the vampires.

It took me a few seconds to notice that none of her spells were actually hitting, or even going near the front line of vampires. Instead her spells were landing further behind their line. Twilight's spells were landing on and around a line of vampire unicorns further back. Twilight threw a wide variety of ammunition at the vampires. She threw balls of fire, bolts of lightning, bursts of raw force, and even chunks of stone ripped from the surrounding buildings. While each individual shot was relatively weak, there were a lot of them, and each the different kinds of ammunition required different defensive measures on the vampires' part. The vampire unicorns had to keep a watch on the sky and conjure simple shields to protect themselves. With the wide variety of ordinance Twilight was using they had to continually retune their respective shields to better counter a specific strike, or else run the risk of being hit by an attack they weren't prepared for.

While the act of bombarding was eating all of Twilight's attention, preventing her from helping me with the standard vampires, she was forcing all of the enemy unicorns to fight defensively. The unicorns were too busy fending off Twilight's barrage to try and create an opening in Applejack's line, and because of Rarity's haze they couldn't get an accurate fix on her location to counterattack. Twilight was completely canceling the vampires' ability to attack at us magically, and was doing so mostly by herself.

I gained a new appreciation of the difference between a casual practitioner of magic and a practitioner that centers their whole life on perfecting their talent.

While Twilight held the magic users at bay, the main body of the Red Court team hit our defensive line. Vampiric claws meet hardened steel as the earth ponies strove to push them back. I will say this, thick plated armor performs wonderfully against claws. The thick armor of the earth ponies allowed them to simply shrug off what would normally be crippling or even fatal hits, but as good as their armor was, simple numbers can overwhelm anything. The sheer number of the vampires and the ferocity of their attacks, soon wore on the earth ponies. We began losing ground as the guardsponies had to take a few steps backwards to avoid crippling blows. This affect was lessened somewhat by Pinkie and the pegasi archers.

To help counter the vampires' overwhelming numbers, Pinkie was using her peculiar abilities much more defensively than in her last fight. Instead of trying to smash her way through the vampires she used her Pinkie Sense to detect the most dangerous attacks aimed at those near her and used her hammer to neatly counter them. Whenever a vampire staggered one of the guardsponies and moved in for the kill, they were soon faced with a very large, very blunt, and very pink instrument of war. Pinkie and her hammer offered the guardsponies the precious second or two they'd need to recover after being knocked off balance. But even with Pinkie's extreme reflexes she couldn't be everywhere at once, which is where Rainbow and the other pegasi came in.

The crossbow armed pegasi hidden atop the nearby building fired continually into the confused throng of vampires below them. Given that there were only three of them they had little hope of seriously wounding any of the vampires, so they aimed for the crippling or distracting shots instead. The pegasi prioritized targets that had broken through and posed an immediate threat to the defenders, but were too far from Pinkie for her to do anything.

Bolts buzzed through the air and found their marks in the joints and soft tissues of the vampires. On more than one occasion a vampire that got dangerously close to Applejack or one of the others had to disengage owing to the fact that the joint connecting a foreleg to their body had been destroyed by a steel tipped bolt. Or a far more common occurrence was that a vampire got too close, was staggered by a few bolts in rather painful looking locations, and then was immediately ushered from this world by the pony nearest it.

My actions were far more restricted than those of my friends or my reinforcements. I couldn't directly attack the vampires immediately in front of the earth ponies because of the risk of my fire blowing back on them. So I had to push them away first. As the vampires charged the defensive line I chose points in the vampire horde where they were grouped closest together. I drew together my will and energy into a singular point at the tip of my horn, from that point I fired a concentrated beam of raw force into the horde and knocked them away like bowling pins. The vampires flew far enough from us that I no longer had to worry about accidently hurting my allies, and didn't have to hold back. When they were safely away from my friends and still regaining their footing I lobbed several orbs of fire into the air above them, raining fiery hell down on their heads.

Like before, as they screamed and burned alive under my power, I only felt a certain sense of cold satisfaction. As far as I was concerned, these creatures deserved no mercy or sympathy from me and would receive none.

Against all odds, we were holding our ground. The vampires kept coming and we kept pushing them away. In a direct head-to-head confrontation, the vampires just couldn't break through the Equestrian steel and our combined willpower. I felt genuine hope that we could and would beat them back into whatever hole they had crawled out of.

I should've known better. The Red Court will always find a way to tear into you, even if they die doing it. They will not leave you intact.

"Commander, they're on the walls!" cried the unicorn guard beside me.

I looked around and sure enough, several vampires had begun clawing their way onto the walls and rooftops in order to get at us from different angles. The sudden change from head on assault to several miniature flanking maneuvers was a change in tactic that we simply couldn't match.

With the earth ponies still busy keeping the forward vampires occupied, Pinkie now had to worry about the potential for vampires leaping off the walls and over the earth ponies to get at our unicorn line. One vampire in particular leapt from the roof of a nearby building, its trajectory would have landed it behind Applejack and within rending distance of me. Pinkie however matched its jump and met it in midair. Whatever happened next was over too fast for me to accurately recount, but the vampire wound up in a sizeable crater just behind one of the earth ponies with its head attempting to occupy the same space as its torso.

I diverted my attention from the forward mass to attempt to manage the flanking vampires. I swept waves of force and fire over the walls, sending some vampires sprawling into the street below, others simply dug in their claws and weathered my magic. I was making some progress but they were too spread out for me to counter them effectively. There were just too many, I simply couldn't keep up with all of them.

"Get off of me!" Rainbow cried out through grunts of pain.

During all the confusion I hadn't noticed that the crossbow bolts had stopped raining down. With a growing sense of dread I looked up to where the pegasi where perched. The vampires on the roof had managed to find the pegasi under Rarity's haze. One of the pegasi guards was already dead. His body lay broken and bloody in the street below. The other guard wasn't far from joining his former comrade. The same vampire that had killed his friend was now burying its razor sharp teeth into the remaining guard's throat, even while he desperately fought the losing battle to get away.

Rainbow had heard the commotion next to her and managed to roll onto her back in time to begin kicking at her own assailant. The vampire attacking Rainbow, unable to get its teeth past her flailing hooves, began raking its claws in wide arches over her drawing several lines of blood from her unprotected face. She shouted a challenge in response and seized the small dagger in her harness with her teeth. She swung it wildly and sunk her dagger to the hilt into the vampire's chest. It convulsed away from Rainbow in agony, wrenching the dagger from her grip as it flinched away. Rainbow took the opportunity and leapt from the roof, her wings flaring open as she angled herself to glide down and meet us on the ground.

The instant she hit the air, a pegasus vampire launched itself from the street and slammed into her midflight. I had begun gathering together my power the instant I saw the vampire take flight, and I loosed my power in a beam of force aimed at the creature about to rip Rainbow to shreds. My spell hit the vampire full in the face and smashed it into the building Rainbow had just jumped from, but not before it got in one nasty hit. The vampire brought down one clawed leg onto Rainbow's right wing just as my spell hit it. The wing crumpled and broke with an audible snap and a cry of pain from the mare.

Rainbow abruptly dropped out of the sky and hurtled towards the street below. Before she impacted she became shrouded in a light blue aura and quickly drifted over towards us. Rarity carefully set her down behind us, with her injured wing facing the sky.

Robbed of its prize, the vampire I had hit launched itself at us mayhem intent in its features. Its leap was too short to allow it to try and reclaim Rainbow, so instead it landed on top of Twilight and swung a clawed leg at her. The strike hit Twilight's spell layered overcoat and merely glanced off of it, but not without a loud thud of impact and a sharp cry of pain from Twilight. It raised its claws again for another more lethal strike, and was launched clean through the cinderblock wall next to us by my rage. At the sound of Twilight's pain, a primal fury and power I couldn't quite explain rose within me, power that I unleashed at the unfortunate vampire to have caused it.

Things only got worse from there. Without the pegasi to distract the vampires Pinkie couldn't reach, the earth ponies began taking several hits and lost large amounts of ground. Applejack in particular began taking several hits as she swung her chained scythe from side to side. Her thick armor was visibly crumpling under the continued battering and was beginning to wear on her. The damaged armor restricted her movements and bit into her painfully as she struggled to hold off the vampires.

Beside Applejack one of the earth pony guards took a nasty swipe to his legs, throwing him of balance. Without the distraction necessary to allow the guard to recover, the vampire responsible seized the guard by his chest plate and pulled him forward into the confused mess of monsters. Another guard next to them jumped forward to try and drive off the creature and save his friend, but only wound up sharing his fate as the vampires took the opportunity to strike at the exposed guard.

Beside me Rarity abruptly vanished. Where she was I couldn't see, but what I did see were several small diamond knives flying through the air. The razor sharp knives began slicing wide arcs in the nearest vampires in an attempt to push back the creatures the previous guards had held back.

There were just too many of them. The vampires had gained the foothold they needed and were now building momentum against us. If we didn't end this soon, we would all die.

"Get near me!" I shouted as I built a mass of power within me. Twilight, Rarity, and the unicorn captain huddled near me. Twilight stopped her bombardment and drew Rainbow in closer to us. Applejack, Pinkie, and the remaining earth pony guard got together and gave an almighty forward shove against the vampires, buying the precious second they needed to fall back to me. As soon as they got close enough, I channeled all the energy I could manage through the shield charm on my horn.

In an instant a large dome of deep red energy sprung to life and enveloped us. Twilight, who knew the mechanics behind my shielding spell, immediately wormed her way into my spell and added her own power to mine. My shield became a blend of red and purple as the vampires reengaged us and hammered away at our shield.

Applejack panted heavily as she looked through the shield at the monsters literally throwing themselves at us. "What do we do? There's just too many of 'em. What do we do?"

"I-I don't know," I grunted as a struggled to keep the shield up. I looked around wildly searching, praying for some way out. I couldn't find one. The odds of getting any kind of victory worth having just went from slim to none, but maybe I could still get my friends out alive. All I needed was a distraction. My voice shook slightly as I spoke again, "Guys, the shield will fail soon. When it does, I want you all to run as fast as you can."

There was a short silence as they processed my order. Twilight was the first to fully understand my meaning and looked horrified at the implication. "Harry, no. I'm not leaving."

I ignored her and pressed on, "Just head for the castle, they'll have the necessary defenses."

She puffed out her chest and looked my directly in my eyes, the same sense of iron hard stubbornness falling into place behind her eyes. "I don't care. I'm in your shield spell, I won't let it fall."

"Twilight, I'm not seeing many options here!" I shot back. "If you have a better idea, I would absolutely love to hear it!"

"Commander, the castle!" The earth pony guard pointed his hoof past me at the castle.

We all turned around to see what it was that had startled the guard, and we all simply gaped at the sight before us. Even the vampires seemed to pause in their assault against our shield to have a look. Canterlot Castle seemed to be oozing a swirling dark energy from every possible opening. The mysterious fog was escaping from every doorway and window, collecting on the grounds, and then began moving into the city. My senses immediately screamed at me that it was a massive conjuration, and the fact that I could sense it from in the middle of the city meant that there was an unbelievable amount of energy behind it.

_How did the vampires get into the castle? Did they already break through Michael's line?_

I didn't want to think about that possibility, because I knew that the only way a vampire could get past Michael, would be over his corpse.

The swirling dark smoke hit the city and spread through it with an unnatural speed, as though a massive wind were constantly blowing on it to direct it towards the city. In a manner of seconds it had entered the mouth of our street and swept towards us. The dark smog hit my shield, and went right on through. Without any method of defense against whatever kind of magic this was I could only clamp my eyes shut as I felt a slight tingling sensation on my face. Convinced that I was about die choking on poisoned air, I gathered together my will for my death curse, the last spell that a wizard casts in life.

_If I'm going down, I'm going to level this whole damn place with me._

Just as I wrapped up forming the spell that I thought would have destroyed everything within several hundred feet of me, I couldn't help but notice a distinct lack of dying on my part. I tentatively cracked open my eyes to try and peer through the thick fog around us, but the fog was completely gone. In fact I could even see better, the moonlight shining down illuminated the city as though it were the sun in its peak position in the sky. There were absolutely no shadows on the street that could hide anything from my eyes.

I looked over my shoulder at Twilight, "What in Equestria was th-" I froze in place when I caught sight of her eyes. Twilight's eyes, normally a dark purple, had turned bright yellow and her pupils had become vertical slits like a cat's. My heart skipped a few beats as I turned and saw my own faint reflection on the inside of my shield, and found that my eyes had been similarly altered. I looked past my reflection to the vampires still waiting outside my shield, and noticed that they had no such alteration. I could see them perfectly under the Moon's light, and was slightly confused by what I saw. The vampires were moving around and bumping into each other as though their sight had been robbed from them.

Then I managed to put two and two together. I reached out with my senses to confirm what I had suspected. I felt the distinctive sensation of Luna's energy in the air around us. The dark fog was still there, we just couldn't see it. The defenders of Canterlot had been blessed with Luna's night vision while the vampires had to try and peer through the thick fog that was invisible to the rest of us. It wouldn't stop the vampires, not completely anyway, vampires can see clearly on all but the blackest of nights. They would eventually adjust to the new environment, but that would take some time. During that time they would be completely defenseless, and in the middle of extremely hostile territory.

A bright white light shone over the rooftops and a loud leonine bellow sounded several streets away, "Forward! Strike down the foul demons, forward!" This cry was met with several more battle cries and the stomping of many hooves.

Evidently Luna's intervention had given Michael what he needed to turn the tide in his own fight.

_And why should he have all the fun?_

Around me the mares and guards began piecing together what had just happened to us and the benefits of what Luna's changes offered. Applejack and Pinkie readied their weapons again and crouched low to the ground, ready to pounce in an instant. Rarity began whirling her knives in a passable impersonation of a buzz saw. Even Twilight readied herself for battle and scowled at the vampires as smoke rose from her fur. I smiled a wide wicked smile at the blinded monsters before us. An excitement rose within me, a feeling that could only be defined as bloodlust.

"You heard him." I lowered the shield from around us. Twilight didn't try to resist its falling. "Go nuts."

I can't really remember the exact details of what happened next, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to. The remaining earth pony guard and unicorn captain remained behind to protect the unconscious Rainbow Dash, while the rest of us charged forward. Pure and uncontrolled rage urged us onward to wreak terrible vengeance on the creatures that had dared to come to here. Creatures that had terrified Canterlot's citizens and had already destroyed the lives of so many innocents. We pushed forward to remind them that they should fear us, that we would not allow them to go unpunished.

Applejack's weaponized lasso swept in wide arcs, carving a bloody swath as the scythe on the end cut into as many vampires as it could reach. Pinkie shot forward, almost too fast to be seen, and brought her hammer down onto the fragile bones and nerves of the vampires' necks. With each impact she turned bone to powder, and flesh to a gooey paste. Rarity ran into the throng of vampires while her knives danced around her in wide quick motions. The knives whipped out seemingly of their own accord at any vampire she got near, slicing and dicing everything around her as she moved. Twilight shot large bolts of lightning from her horn and as they impacted with her target more bolts arced off into the surrounding vampires, cooking them all from the inside out. I jumped forward and started throwing around fire like I intended to burn down the entire city. Vampires burned and tried to scramble away in their blinded haze.

No vampire could stand before us and live to tell the tale. We swept through the street and didn't stop until every vampire was dead, dying, or fleeing. We stopped our rampage and stood in the center of the street, catching our breath as some sense of sanity returned to us. The few vampires that had regained the use of their eyes in time to run could be still seen scrambling over nearby walls, running behind buildings, or else doing whatever it took to break line of sight with us.

"You'd better run!" I screamed at an earth pony vampire that had just managed to claw its way up a far building. "The next time I see you I'm going to start a fire inside your skull, you soulless freaks!"

"Soulless freaks? I assure you we do have souls, though probably not one that you'd recognize," said a deep and well spoken masculine voice that came from the same end of the street that the vampires had originally walked down.

I looked over to find the source of the noise and saw a large unicorn calmly walking over to us. Now saying that this unicorn was simply tall wouldn't do it justice, this unicorn was enormous. He stood head and shoulders over each of us. From his proportions he looked like a male version of Celestia, minus the wings and color scheme. His coat was a deep navy blue while his mane, tail, and fetlocks were all a dark blood red. His mane and tail looked like they had been meticulously cut and styled, giving him the look of a business pony or a lawyer. The smug self-satisfied look on his face was nudging him a bit closer to lawyer territory. On his flank was what looked like a vampire's clawed limb for a cutie mark, colored to match his mane.

Behind him were two regularly sized vampires, one an earth pony and the other a pegasus. The two body guards had chosen to abandon the flesh mask their charge was wearing, and simply stared at us with black eyes and snarling teeth.

Beside me Applejack took a step forward and shouted at the vampire hidden under pony fur, "You come here, attack Canterlot, hurt and kill innocent ponies, and you just now want to start talking? You've got some nerve."

"I wasn't speaking to you, cattle!" He shifted to look me directly in the face. I averted my eyes slightly to avoid a soulgaze. I did not want to see what lay behind those cold eyes. "I was speaking to the warden."

That piqued my interest. "You know who I am?"

The lead vampire smiled widely, revealing several pointed teeth. "But of course, I've heard about the supposed 'vampire expert' Celestia hired only days after we arrived here." He pointed a hoof at my chest, "That and the silver pentacle amulet around your neck, marks you as the warden that chased me to this wonderful kingdom. Harry Dresden, the White Council's black sheep."

Twilight stepped next to me, "He chased you here?" Twilight began muttering aloud as she ran through the facts of I'd told her about the original three vampires I'd chased. "So you're one of the original vampires, and Harry said there was only one magic user in among the first three. So that'd make you…"

"The Red King, yes," he finished for her.

"I probably would've gone with 'idiot leader that takes to the field in his very first major offensive', but sure that works too," I jeered at the Red King.

He chuckled slightly, "Believe me, I am in no immediate danger."

I decided to fall back on my favorite pastime of doing my very best to just aggravate him. You'd be surprised how much information the dark lord of the hour just gives away when you insinuate some inferiority on his part. Or you could pretend like his plans just aren't worth your attention, and most every two bit warlock and egomaniacal jerk would come running to prove just how important they are. "Did you have too much trouble when you were first turned into a pony? I know it was an interesting change of pace for me."

The Red King just narrowed his eyes at me, a dull growling sound escaping from his throat.

I continued on as though I hadn't noticed a thing, "The extra legs and no arms was definitely a shift, but the horn made up for the lack of hands. Oh, and the tail! I was a little dubious of it at first, but I've grown rather attached to the fluffy thing. It's nice to always have something soft nearby if I ever have a tense day and need to pet something." Twilight shot me a sidelong glance as though I had just lost my mind and started spouting gibberish.

He curled his lips at me, exposing his pointed teeth, "I would have thought that your time with the White Council would teach you more respect for a senior warden."

_Oh crap…_

The senior wardens are the White Council's elite. They are battle hardened wizards that have survived decades of relentless combat by being as cunning as they are powerful. Each senior warden has the base power necessary to call down fire of Biblical proportions, and the finite skill needed to create high quality shields and illusions from scratch at a moment's notice. There's an unspoken promise among all wardens, 'Don't let the Red Court take you alive'. Because if they do then you'll likely be turned and give the Red Court one hell of a powerful new wizard, like the one in front of me. If he really was a turned senior warden, and if he was even half as good as he seemed to think he was, then trying to fight him head on would be an extremely bad idea.

A wide smile spread over his face as he saw my shocked expression, "Yes, Dresden. I am one of your former brothers in arms. I've come a long way since then and I grow stronger every passing day." He swept a hoof to gesture at the city around him, "It doesn't matter what meager defenses you've mustered, we will take this world and I will be like a god!"

While he was busy with his rant, I noticed something moving around behind the Red King's guards just out of sight. I tried to get a better look without being too obvious, but before I could make out anything specific the vague shape vanished behind the earth pony vampire. A brown hoof wrapped around to cover the vampire's mouth while a slender blade flashed across its throat. The vampire crumpled to reveal Silent Night standing behind it, his sword retracting back into his mechanical limb. At the same time Silent took down one guard, the other was being attacked by ten floating knives. Two of Rarity's knives slammed into the top and bottom of the pegasus vampire's muzzle, forcing its mouth closed. The remaining eight knives circled around its throat in circle right before they pierced it from all angles, nearly decapitating it. The truly impressive feat was that both assassinations were done completely silently, the Red King still focused intently on the rest of us in front of him.

I tracked the path of one of the diamond knives as they left the fallen vampire, and smiled as I realized Rarity's plan of attack. "So you topple Canterlot and take over all of Equestria. You create the perfect Red Court nation. But there's still one very important question you haven't answered."

The Red King raised an impatient eyebrow, "And that is?"

"How do you feel about eye patches?"

Not half a second later he reared back in agony, shaking his head from side to side. When his face came back into view I could see the hilt of one of Rarity's daggers sticking out of his left eye.

"Get clear!" I shouted in Silent's and, I assumed, Rarity's general direction.

Silent flared his normal and artificial wings open wide before driving them down as hard as he could. It couldn't have been clearer that Silent's flying days were over. Silent lurched shakily upward, his wings beating out of sync. While not enough to allow much more altitude, his wings did at least get him high enough to scramble onto a nearby rooftop. Beside me I sensed, rather than physically felt, an invisible presence run pass me.

Satisfied that the area around the Red King was cleared of allies, Twilight and I locked eyes and nodded at each other. We lowered our horns to point at the vampire leader, and began drawing in as much power as we could from the surrounding environment. As I've said before, magic comes from life and from emotions. Canterlot was a large bustling city with thousands of ponies coming and going, and otherwise living their lives every second of every day. There was magic in spades here.

We drew in as much power as our bodies could possibly take, and held it in to use for one massive burst. I could feel my body's temperature skyrocket as I held in an increasingly large pool of energy. Smoke quickly began to rise from my fur, and I could feel my mane and tail start to blow in a nonexistent wind. Beside me Twilight was having similar issues. Her mane and tail were blowing in a nonexistent breeze as well. Small sparks began playing about her fur, making her look like she was glowing slightly. I don't care what Luna says, or how magically attuned a unicorn's mind and body are, no mortal body was meant to be able to hold the sheer magnitude of magical energy that we were drawing in.

Several feet away the Red King had finally managed to rip knife from his face. His right eye widened in surprise as he noticed the two of us readying an attack. Without missing a beat he threw himself forward at us with blinding speed. His fur fell away from him as his true vampiric features were exposed. He closed to distance to us in the space of a heartbeat. His claws were at full extension and a hair's breadth from my face when Twilight and I couldn't hold back the tide of energy any longer, and unleashed every single scrap we had at the Red King.

A massive cone of red and purple tinged flame erupted from a point in-between our two horns. The cone expanded rapidly to fill the entirety of the street before us and blew the vampire's leader away. We didn't let up when the he fell away. We kept the fire going for as long as we possibly could. My ears roared and my head felt like it was being pulled apart as energy screamed through my mind. We held the spell for a solid twenty seconds, at some point I started screaming at the pain of it all. The fire we created was extremely intense, it turned the street, the walls of the buildings, and everything in-between to glass.

Completely spent from controlling the torrent of energy, Twilight and I released control of the spell and collapsed to the ground. The cone of fire died away but the entirety of the street was still a raging inferno. The Red King's remains, if there were any after that stunt, were still hidden among all the fire.

Twilight managed to get back to her hooves first. She stood, shaking slightly, and turned to look at me with a bewildered look on her face, "Tail?"

I began laughing, I couldn't help it. Amidst all the death and destruction the night had given us, Twilight had chosen to comment on the bravado I'd shot at the Red King. Twilight's fortitude was definitely something to be admired. I got up myself and wrestled my laughter until control. "Well it is a nice tail," I responded and swished my tail from side to side for emphasis.

Rarity stepped forward to offer a steadying hoof to Twilight. "I'm just glad this nightmare is over, thank Celestia."

Suddenly a ring of pure black energy wrapped around my neck, lifted me up, and threw me against the far wall. I heard several more sounds of impact as my team was thrown to the wall as well. Even the earth pony guard, unicorn captain, and the still unconscious Rainbow were held prisoner beside me. A tall gaunt figure stepped out of the inferno and turned towards us.

"That hurt," the Red King growled at us. His flesh was burned and blackened to beyond recognition. In some places the flesh had been seared off entirely, revealing the bone beneath. But as I watched, I saw something that I wasn't really prepared for. His flesh was repairing itself, muscles slithered together and reformed, and his leathery skin shifted and resealed gaping wounds. Even his ruined eye reformed itself in a process that would have had me losing my dinner under normal circumstances.

Red Court vampires do have the ability to recover from most any kind of wound, so long as they can crawl away long enough to do so. But this was different, this was active magical regeneration. The power required to repair a relatively minor cut or wound would be staggering and is extremely complex. The energy needed to repair almost every scrap of flesh on his body would have been immense, and he didn't even seem to notice it happening.

I gathered together and threw my will against the bond around my throat. I couldn't get it to budge even an inch. Even in my weakened state my power is not insubstantial, but it was like I was an ant trying to push a boulder up a mountain. In terms of raw power I'm on par with most of the senior wardens, what I lack is the fine control. The power this guy apparently had at his disposal was leagues beyond that of any senior warden. That scared the crap out of me.

_How is he this powerful? No wizard could get this much power through normal means._

The Red King stood only inches away from me before he spoke, "You are an annoying little insect and you should've been killed a long time ago."

I desperately tried to loosen the dark ring around through physical and metaphysical means, and was still having no luck. Beside me Twilight fought against her bonds as well, but her eyes were fixed on me and showed an intense fear.

"So what's the plan? Are you just going to talk me to death?" I snarled at the vampire.

The band around my throat constricted slightly, forcing me to gasp my breaths.

A wicked smile played across his features, "I just wanted to say one last thing. None of this would have been possible without you. You are the one that sparked the White Council's war with the Red Court. You are the one that lead us to Equestria. All of your friends in this world and on Earth will die, because of you."

With that said he tightened the ring around my throat, cutting off my supply of oxygen entirely. My lungs instantly burned for air. My head began pounding in time with my heartbeat as blood was pumped up into it but was restricted from leaving my head by the force on my throat. My vision blurred and my thoughts became sluggish, I couldn't even pull my will together to try and throw my death curse. I was about to die and there wasn't a damn thing I could do to prevent it.

_Michael… where are… you…_

A loud thunderous voice shook the air around us, "**ENOUGH OF THIS!**"

The grip on my throat loosened and I managed to breathe in precious oxygen. As soon as my vision cleared I looked up at the source of the noise, and saw Celestia flying high above the city. I couldn't see her face from this distance but her ethereal mane and tail had both turned the shade of a bright fiery orange.

"There you are," the Red King mumbled to himself.

All around us shouting cries could be heard as several vampires screeched to announce the arrival of the sun princess. Out of the corner of my eye I could see many more pegasi vampires fly up from the city and shot towards Celestia. Celestia's only response to this was to raise her horn high in the air. Light flashed from her horn and I felt an intense surge of magic against my senses. A small red orb appeared above the city, and the orb seemed to be drawing in various pieces of loose debris and energy from the environment around it. After a second or two the orb reached some sort of critical mass and exploded, sending a massive wave of force over everything in the city. When the shockwave washed over us I was knocked senseless for a short time.

When my senses returned to me, the first thing that I noticed was that I was no longer being held against the wall by my throat. I looked back up and saw that the little orb had become a miniature sun hovering above Canterlot. The sun shone bright light into every nook and cranny of the city just like its full sized counterpart in the middle of the day. It was then that I noticed something else, screaming. All of the vampires in the city that were now being exposed to direct sunlight screamed as their flesh sizzled and burned. One particular scream clawed against my ears.

In front of me the Red King howled in pain and tried to flinch away from the sudden burst of sunlight, but since the thing was directly overhead there was nowhere for him to hide. He clawed at the ground and tried to hide his face under his legs. Then again, something happened that I wasn't quite ready for. A thick black smoke rose from the Red King's body and collected into a cloud above him. After a brief moment the smoke stopped rising from him and the cloud flew off into the distance, leaving Canterlot behind it. The body it left behind began shifting. The vampire's body visibly shrunk until its proportions were similar to that of a normal unicorn's, at least until it burst into flames under Celestia's sun.

"We did it! We won!" Applejack shouted while hoping up and down, not unlike Pinkie.

"Oh thank Celestia, literally," Rarity sighed.

There's no way it was as simple as that. I highly doubted that it was over, but I didn't want to spoil their moment of victory. So I just kept my mouth shut until I could tell my suspicions to Celestia. But for the time being the Red Court was defeated, the vampires that weren't burning were fleeing over Canterlot's walls and into the lands beyond. The night was ours.

"Now that was a show," said a familiar voice from right above me.

I looked up and saw Silent lying on the roof above me with his head and forelegs carelessly draped over the side. "Hey, not that I'm ungrateful, but what are you doing here?"

He smiled and tilted his head, "Michael sent me. After Princess Luna's mojo let us get the upper hoof on the reds, Michael told me to come and find you." He turned his head to look at the many vampire bodies that were now burning under Celestia's sun, "He seemed to think that you needed some help."

"I think we're good for now. Get back to him and help look for survivors."

"Sure thing." Silent's head disappeared over the roof and loud hoof steps sounded as he galloped across the buildings.

Twilight, having only just recovered from nearly being strangled to death and from Celestia's sudden intervention, hastily made her way over to me and tried to get me back to my hooves. "Harry, are you okay?"

I looked up directly into Twilight's face, her eyes had reverted to her usual shade of dark purple, and by extension the rest of our eyes had returned to normal. I raised a shaking foreleg to massage my very sore neck, "Yeah, I'll be fine. Is everypony else okay?"

Twilight looked away from me to check on her friends, "Uh, yeah we look good. Applejack and Rarity look fine, the guard and the captain are making a stretcher for Rainbow, and Pinkie… What is Pinkie doing?"

I craned my head to look over at where Pinkie sat, far away from the rest of us. Her appearance made me uncomfortable. Pinkie's mane and tail were completely flat and void of her usual bouncy energy, even her colors seemed drained slightly. As she sat there her eyes had grown several sizes and looked like she might start crying at any moment. I followed her gaze to the same end of the street that the vampires had come from.

I shambled back to my feet and began walking in the direction Pinkie seemed focused on. "Twilight, help the guards get Rainbow to Fluttershy. I want to check on something."

"Harry, what are you doing?" Twilight asked me as I limped away.

"Satisfying my curiosity," I called back over my shoulder.

I left Twilight shaking her head at me in bewilderment. She turned away and levitated some salvageable rubble over to the guards for Rainbow's stretcher. I reached the end of the street and rounded the corner to try and find what it was that had Pinkie worried. The street around the corner looked fine, a bit of tearing here and a little rubble there, but it looked more or less intact. I walked down the road and began checking the side alleys off of the main street. The first two alleys yielded nothing of interest, just some more slightly damaged buildings and a still smoldering vampire corpse. However the third alley hid something that will haunt me for a long while. I rounded the corner into the alley and my blood froze in my veins.

_Oh please no…_

Suddenly Pinkie's vague fear for Twilight made much more sense. I had thought that Pinkie's fear was for Twilight's physical safety, but if that was the case then she could have prevented the forewarned danger by simply being there to protect Twilight. Pinkie's fear was for Twilight but not for her safety, it was for her peace of mind.

"Harry, what are you up to?" Twilight called from the mouth of the alley. "Pinkie started crying after you left and just kept saying 'I'm sorry' over and over. What are you looking for?"

The sound of Twilight's voice snapped me back to reality and my eyes widened in sudden fear for her.

_No, she can't see this. Not now._

I immediately turned my back on the alley and raised my forelegs to prevent her from moving any further forward. "Twilight, you need to leave, now. Go help Rainbow."

She narrowed her eyes at me and ignored my wishes, craning her neck to try and get a look past me. "Harry, I've been through a lot tonight. While I'll probably need some sleep aids in the near future, I can handle a little more tonight."

I placed the hooves of my forelegs on her chest and began pushing her away, "No Twilight, you don't understand."

"What I understand is that Pinkie knows something and you're trying to hide it." She knocked my hooves aside and managed to get her head past my neck while I was distracted and got a look at what was down the alley. "Now what is it that… Mom? Dad? NOOO!"

She threw herself forward to try and get at the bodies of her parents that lay broken in the alley behind me. Her face was a tortured mixture of fear, pain, desperation, and tears. I planted my hooves and prevented her from moving forward. It wouldn't do her any good to see them like this. "Twilight, we need to go."

"No! They're right there! Help them, please!" she cried in protest.

Tears began rolling down my own face as I continued to push her away from her parents. "I can't. There's nothing I can do, Twilight."

"Then get Luna! She can heal them! They're not dead, they just need Luna!"

"Luna can't help, Twilight. Nopony can help them. I'm-I'm so sorry," I stammered as I pushed her out into the street.

"But they're right there! We can still help them! We can… I can… They…"

It was then that Twilight broke down entirely. She began screaming incoherent pain and flailed her forelegs at me. She hit me with her hooves, she bit me, she did whatever she could to try and get past me. I let every blow connect, I took every shouted insult, but I wouldn't let her go. I just silently embraced her and let her vent her pain. After a minute of her doing her best to beat me senseless, she stopped moving and just started crying into the fur on my chest. I let go of her and levitated her into the air. With a little effort I managed to balance her on my back, her legs hung loosely on my either side and her face was buried in the back my neck.

"Let's get you somewhere safe," I muttered to the distraught Twilight. I moved as quickly as I could back up the street to where the rest of my team was waiting. When I made it back I saw that the earth pony guard and the unicorn captain had already departed with the injured Rainbow. Applejack and Rarity were sitting waiting for me, and casting worried looks at Pinkie. Pinkie sat where I had left her earlier and stared at me with knowing eyes.

"There ya'll are." Applejack got up and began moving towards us, "I was getting worried about you two. What were… Twilight, are you crying? Sugarcube, what's wrong?"

At Applejack's words Rarity stood up to inspect Twilight, "Oh Twilight dear, what's wrong?"

"I'm taking her up to the castle. You should all go help Michael, I'm sure he could use a few more hooves," I instructed as I passed by them.

Applejack stuck a hoof out to stop me. "Now wait a moment, what about Twilight?"

I looked directly at Applejack and gave her my best death glare, "I'm taking care of her. I will explain later. Now go help Michael."

Applejack looked extremely unnerved and backed away a couple of steps, allowing me to pass. To my right Pinkie said the first words I'd heard her say all night. "I'm sorry, Harry."

I shot her a quick glare and moved pass her. "It doesn't help much now Pinkie," I called over my shoulder.

The walk back to the castle was a slow one, but with my mind racing over recent events it seemed to pass rather quickly. On the way back I ran into several guards and members of my battalion. Many of them called out to me looking for some instruction. I told each of them the same thing, I told them to go and help Michael look for survivors. I really couldn't care less about what the others around me did. I was walking around more or less in a haze. The only real thoughts going through my head were for Twilight and how I could possibly make things better or her.

The barracks was nearly empty with all of the soldiers in Canterlot and with all the citizens staying in other parts of the castle, so that a wandering foal wouldn't get too curious about one of those shiny spears. With Twilight still lying on my back, I made my way carefully up the stairs to the second floor landing and pushed open the door to my room.

_She can stay with me. Twilight shouldn't be alone right now,_ I reasoned to myself.

I levitated her off of my back and carefully placed her on my bed. At some point during the long walk up here, she had fallen unconscious. The trials of the night had simply proven too much for her to handle. I used my telekinesis to carefully unclasp Twilight's overcoat and removed it from her as gently as possible. I folded and placed her overcoat on my desk. With that out of the way I arranged her neatly onto my bed and drew the covers up over her.

As the covers ran over her fur, she breathed a few shuddering sobs and mumbled a few words under her breath, "My fault… All my fault…"

I could almost feel my heart shattering into pieces. I reached out and ran a hoof through her mane. "Shh, don't think like that. It's not your fault," I whispered. "Just go to sleep, things will be better tomorrow." Something in the back of my mind began poking at me and my eyes once again were drawn to my storage chest and what I had hidden inside it.

_The doll… Maybe that could help her._

Throwing caution to the wind, I opened the chest and withdrew the Smarty Pants doll I'd hidden there. I took the doll and slipped it between Twilight's forelegs. If she noticed at all, she didn't show it. Not seeing any other way to help, I moved the large red cushion Twilight had brought in for her idea session and put it beside the bed. I placed my own overcoat next to Twilight's, got on the cushion, curled up into a moderately comfortable position, and tried to calm my racing thoughts. I just lay there and desperately tried to will myself to sleep, but I couldn't stop thinking on the Red King's words.

What the Red King said about my guilt was both true and untrue. I had sparked the Red Court's war when I attacked one of their nobles, but I was just the excuse. The Red Court had been amassing supplies and superior numbers long before the war ever started. I was just the excuse they used to justify their actions against the White Council. If I hadn't started it all, then they would've found another spark to set it all off.

I'm not so headstrong as to claim that the entire thing was my fault, but neither can I call myself completely innocent. The cold fact of the matter was that I did play a key role in all of this death. Even if I wasn't personally necessary to get things going, it was still me that supplied the spark. I had blood on me, gallons of it. But now some of that blood was on Twilight, a pony who, before I came along, had no experience with true pain and loss. I just didn't know how to handle that.

_I'm so sorry Twilight. I never should have chased after those damned vampires. I never should have come to Equestria. Wherever I go, only misery follows._

The Red Court will always find a way to tear into you, even if they die doing it. They will not leave you intact.


	16. Chapter 16

**Flesh Masks Ch. 16**

A harsh breeze blew over me and made my mane dance in front of my face. The tickling sensation as my mane touched on my eyes and nose made me sneeze. I rubbed a hoof over my face and slowly opened my eyes to try and find whatever it was that had disturbed my sleep. As I took in the sights around me I had to stop and gape at the bizarreness of it all.

I lay in the middle of a large grassy clearing, the soft grass beneath me made for a perfect cushion. The clearing of soft grass stretched for a several hundred feet in all directions. At the edges of the clearing was a dense forest of evergreens so thick that I couldn't make out a single detail past the initial circle of trees. A rolling thunder rumbled in the skies high above me. I looked up to see thick dark clouds blanketing the sky. The storm clouds rolled and seemed to twist together to a point directly overhead. Canterlot castle, or for that matter any kind of civilized society, was nowhere to be seen.

I worked my hooves underneath me and pushed myself to a standing position. _Okay, this has to be a dream. It definitely feels like one of my more standard dreams._ My hooves shuffled in place as I turned in a small circle to try and find some meaningful detail. Then a disturbing thought occurred to me and I glanced back down at my grey furred legs and black hooves. _Wait a minute… If this is a dream, where's my body? This is my mind, so I should be back to normal._

As I stood there trying to figure out whatever demented message my subconscious was trying to tell me, the clang of steel and the cracks of firearms sounded off to my left. I turned to face the sounds of combat and stopped to take in the scene before me. At the far end of the clearing were my few friends and comrades from Earth. My mentor McCoy, my half-brother Thomas, and the few friends I've made in the Chicago police force and in the Chicago's small magical community. Even a few cloaked and faceless wardens stood among the group. They stood at the edge of the tree line, firing their respective weapons of choice against a continuous stream of humanoid Red Court vampires that were racing out of the trees at them.

They were fighting a losing fight. For every vampire they cut down, two more took its place. They were fighting against a hydra with multiple bodies instead of heads, they couldn't hold out forever. But despite that, they stood their ground and kept on fighting. Guns barked from the policemen and fire flew from the wardens' and McCoy's staves. Thomas and one or two wardens stood at the front of the group and held swords high above them, ready to bring them down on whatever got too close.

Far off in the distance, past the dense forest, I could see the foggy outline of the tall buildings that was Chicago. Beyond those were massive shadowy figures playing puppet master to everything. Their outstretched hands hovered over the forest. Small silvery strings coming from their fingertips reached down to the vampires below, urging them to attack.

"Hells bells, hold on!" I yelled at the group, completely forgetting that this was just a dream.

I took a couple steps forward towards them but froze in place when I heard another sound behind me, opposite of the fighting below. I heard a soft cry, almost a whimper, coming from someone that was suffering from an intense pain. It was a much softer sound than the clangs of battle, but it still reached my ears and caused an irrational desire to protect whatever had made it.

I turned around and saw Twilight at the opposite end of the clearing. She was curled up on the grass with her back turned towards me and was shaking slightly. The edges of her form disappeared into a swirling haze, as though I were looking at her through a foggy mirror. My hooves began moving on their own, carrying me away from the combat and towards the distraught mare. As I drew nearer the haze around her dispersed, her form solidified, and her whimpers became louder and clearer.

As I moved further away from the fighting, I noticed a definite drop in volume, more so than simple distance should have done. I turned back around hoping against hope that my friends had pushed the vampires away. They had not. They were still fighting desperately against the growing horde, but the same haze that was around Twilight was now around them. The edges of their forms dissolved into a mist around them, as did the vampires they fought. In a panic I turned back around to assist, but again as I got closer to the fighting the mist vanished only to reappear around Twilight and began to make her disappear. The closer I got to one of the disasters, the more the other faded into oblivion.

I paced nervously in the center of the clearing, turning in a constant circle. My heart began trying to pound its way out of my chest as I looked between the scene of intense violence and the mare slowly falling into whatever hell her mind was conjuring, and becoming increasingly unsure of which I feared more.

"Well son, you've… grown," said a deep and slightly amused voice from in-between the two scenes.

My father calmly walked out of the forest and over to me, his fingers interlaced behind his head as though he didn't have a care in the world. He looked as he always had. He stood at around six feet with a mess of shaggy hair and wore a grey polo shirt and khakis. He smiled at me as he drew within arm's reach, his fingers traced from my twitching ears to over my mane as he inspected me. I just stood there and stared at him, surprised by how real it felt. I had to remind myself that this was just a dream, but it was suddenly a little difficult to ignore the simple comfort in my father's presence.

"You know, I can't say I ever expected to be the proud father of a unicorn," he said after he finished his base inspection. "But life can be weird like that sometimes."

My mouth finally seemed to reconnect with my brain. "Dad, what are you-"

"Has your diet changed much?" he interrupted.

I raised a hoof and placed it on his chest, stopping him from perusing his curiosity. "Dad please, I know this isn't real. I know that this is all in my head, but I need your advice."

He finally seemed to notice the environment around us. He turned around to look at my friends that were still fighting the vampires, and then back over to Twilight. He frowned a bit at the latter. "You've found yourself in quite the predicament I see."

"I don't know… I don't…" I ran the hooves of my forelegs through my mane, if I still had fingers I'd be pulling out chunks of hair. "What am I supposed to do? Just tell me what to do."

He placed his hands on me and hefted himself up to sit sidesaddle on my back. My legs bore his weight well enough. I shifted a little to even out the added weight and I stopped noticing it altogether.

"What are you supposed to do? Have you forgotten what I told you last time already?" He patted my head like I was frightened child and leaned closer to speak into my ear. "Don't ever stop protecting those you care about."

And just like that, he was gone. His weight vanished from my back as he faded into a silver vapor and disappeared entirely. I turned around to try and see where he had gone, but a thick fog obscured everything around me. My friends, Twilight, the vampires, and even Chicago off in the distance were all swallowed by a thick fog that was closing in around me.

"I can't." I tucked my legs under me as I lay down and curled into the same position that I had fallen asleep in. "I can't protect everyone."

The fog reached me and washed over me. I clamped my eyes shut and tried to ignore the extreme cold. The moisture in the air settled into my fur, and the cold air combined with the sudden dampness began to make me shiver. I shook violently on my soft bed, unable to force myself still. My eyes snapped open again when a small drip of water worked its way into the corner of my right eye.

I was back in my room in Canterlot castle. Light flooded into the room from underneath my door. I craned my head to get a better look at myself. My fur was matted in several places from a cold sweat running over my twitching body. I regained control over myself and levitated a spare towel from my storage chest over to me. I stood up from my cushion on the floor and began running the towel over my damp coat as I turned around to get a look behind me.

Twilight had shifted during the night. She lay in my bed with her back facing the rest of the room. Upon closer inspection I noticed that she held the Smarty Pants doll firmly between her forelegs, the doll's head rested underneath her chin. Twilight was still in an extremely deep sleep. Her face was completely slack betraying none of the processes that were running through her unconscious mind, if there were any at all. For her sake, I hoped that she was enjoying a dreamless sleep.

I straightened the covers over her and tucked the edges under her slightly. Her only notice she gave was to continue breathing as her sides gently moved in time with her breaths. Satisfied that she was at least comfortable, I turned to leave and get some much needed breakfast. The events of the previous night had left me completely starved.

I opened the door to my room as quietly as I possibly could and stepped out into the hallway, shutting the door quietly behind me. To my slight surprise all of Twilight's friends, minus Rainbow Dash, were waiting outside of my door. Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie were resting on various cushions they had brought into the hall. Rarity had somehow worked a large red ornate couch into the hallway and was laying on it as though she were an extra in a Shakespearean play. One by one they noticed my presence and got up from their respective resting places to crowd around the door.

Fluttershy spoke up first, "How is Twilight?"

I glanced back at my door as though I could see through it. "She's resting. I was just about to grab some breakfast and then bring back something for her."

"Actually," Rarity interjected, "Princess Celestia wants to see us in the dining hall for breakfast. A messenger came by about an hour ago with the summons." Rarity pawed nervously at the ground and looked at my door, "We thought it'd be better if we waited for one of you to wake up."

I thought about that for a second before I nodded in agreement. "Alright fine, but Twilight's staying where she is," I stated as though it were simple fact. "And I want one of you to stay with her. The rest of us will fill you in later."

Fluttershy, who was still wearing her medic gear from the night before, stepped forward. She looked like a wreck, every piece of clothing she wore was battered, frayed, and had the occasional splotch of blood. Thick dark circles hung under her eyes, indicating that she'd likely had little to no sleep since the fighting ended and had been working to treat as many injured as possible. Given the severity of the combat, that wasn't really surprising.

"But… Princess Celestia asked for all of us," Fluttershy whispered.

She cringed away a little as I turned to face her. Given how much stress they were all under, I had to remind myself to at least try to put on a gentler face. "Celestia's wishes aren't really near the top of my list of priorities at the moment. Twilight needs time to process, so that's what she's going to get," I stated again, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

It was only then that I took the time to inspect the rest of my team, and saw that they looked nearly as worn and battered as Fluttershy. They had each discarded their gear and, presumably, had sent it off to be repaired as needed. Rarity's, Applejack's, and Pinkie's fur were extremely unkempt and stood out in odd directions. Applejack in particular bore several nasty looking bumps and bruises that could easily be seen through her orange coat, though she made no sounds of pain or discomfort as she moved. Even though they were all clearly more ragged than Fluttershy, they had at least gotten some sleep. They still sported some baggy eyes, but nowhere near the degree that Fluttershy had.

Pinkie stepped forward and moved towards my door. Her mane and tail were still decidedly flat, although some color had been returned to them. "It's okay, I'll watch over her," she said and reached out a hoof for my door.

I immediately raised a hoof to stop her before she could touch the door. "No," I snapped at her, a little harsher than was strictly necessary. I took a moment to reign myself in, and looked over to the battered and bruised earth pony. "Applejack, would you keep an eye on her?"

Applejack stepped forward and nodded her head, "Sure thing. I'll stop by the kitchen first though, and get us some food."

I nodded in agreement and Applejack turned on the spot and galloped off to get some breakfast for herself and Twilight. My gut told me that Applejack was the best choice for support for Twilight at the moment. I didn't know the details of her history, and I wouldn't dare ask, but I remembered Applejack's reaction when I'd revealed that my own parents were dead during the small party we enjoyed. Her reaction to that nugget of information was that of understanding and sympathy, which is what I felt Twilight needed most right now.

Pinkie took a few steps back and looked down at her hooves, shame or guilt apparent in her features. My thoughts on Pinkie were something of a mixed bag at the moment. I resented her for possessing information that I could have used to save Twilight's parents, but at the same time I understood why she might not have revealed it. If I knew the exact position of Twilight's parents and knew that they were in mortal danger, then I probably would have done whatever was necessary to get to them. Hindsight however told me that if I had pressed forward the necessary distance to get to them, then we would have been completely surrounded and we all would have died.

Depending on how developed Pinkie's abilities were, she could have known exactly that and had chosen the path that ended in the least amount of death. Then guilt over hiding that information would be eating away at her. Or she might have had only a vague idea of the danger Twilight and her parents faced, and may not have been able to intervene at all. In which case the shame of not being able to do more would be weighing on her. Or maybe I'm trying to find meaning in a bunch of alternate futures that no longer existed. It would take a much wiser man than I to make sense of the powers of time that Pinkie was apparently connected to.

The only important details were that we were still alive, and that Pinkie felt horrible for her friend. I couldn't hold that against her.

I rested a hoof on her shoulder and smiled at her. "Don't worry, she'll be fine."

Pinkie looked back up at me, a little hope glimmering behind her eyes, "You think so?"

I barked out a short laugh and withdrew my hoof, "Definitely, she's the toughest unicorn I know. She could probably kick my face in if she wanted to." That seemed to cheer her up. A substantial amount of pink returned to her body and her mane and tail regained a certain amount of puffiness. They weren't back to her usual levels of energy, but they at least didn't look steam pressed any more.

With that out of the way, Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and I left to go and meet with the Princess of the Sun. Shortly after we started walking to the dining hall I craned my neck back to speak to Fluttershy, who was wobbling along behind me. "Hey Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash was sent to your ER right?"

It took her a good second or two longer to answer than she normally would, but Fluttershy eventually managed to shake herself from her sleep deprived state and responded, "Oh, yes she was. A unicorn and an earth pony brought her in right before things started to calm down. She had several cuts and bruises, and her right wing was broken. I set it back into place and bandaged it, but that's all I could do at the time."

"Is she still in the medical wing?" Rarity asked

"I think so," Fluttershy responded. "She was awake when I saw her last and I told her to stay in her bed. Princess Luna actually met up with her in the ER. I think she came down for some migraine medication after the fighting and saw Rainbow there. When I left they were still talking to each other."

We walked down the less used side hallways so as to avoid the large number of ponies still running about the main areas of the castle. One of these side hallways bore a large number of windows facing Canterlot. Celestia's conjured star had long since dissipated and her proper Sun was cresting over the distant hills. As the Sun's light fell over Canterlot proper I saw that it was actually relatively untouched by the combat. There was some visible rubble and a couple pillars of smoke still rose from various parts of the city. It might have just been my imagination, but most of the rising smoke seemed to be centered on the streets that we had traveled the previous night. Although on the whole the city had suffered minimal apparent structural damage.

We rounded a corner and neared the large double doors to the dining hall when Pinkie spoke up again. "I should probably get something for Twilight and Dashie. Maybe I could make them some cupcakes." Pinkie suddenly gasped as some idea sprung up in her mind. "Maybe I could make one massive cake for all of Canterlot!"

_And there goes my sweet tooth._

I sighed and mumbled over my shoulder, "Pinkie that sounds like a really bad idea."

She pouted at me, her ears folded back onto her head, and her pupils grew to ridiculous proportions. "Aww, but I just want to help out all those sad ponies the best way I know how."

The sheer amount of pouty adorableness she was shooting at me was nearly enough to give diabetes right then and there. I stopped at the doors to the dining hall and tried to cover my eyes with my hooves, "Alright! Alright, fine, clear it with Celestia before you do anything. Just please, stop looking at me like that!"

Pinkie beamed in response and pushed past me through the double doors. Rarity stepped forward to the doors just as they closed behind Pinkie. Rarity chuckled and smiled while giving me a sidelong look, "You know I don't think anypony has been able to refuse her when she does that look."

"I can't imagine why," I grumbled back. I placed a hoof on one of the double doors and pushed it open, holding it to allow Rarity and Fluttershy to enter first before I went in.

As I entered the wide dining hall, I looked around and took in the familiar sights. The long table had remained relatively unchanged, and was laden wide with a standard breakfast buffet of fruits, vegetables, grains, pastries. The attendees threw me off however. At one end of the table sat Celestia, patiently waiting for us to answer her summons. At the other end was Luna, who I wasn't really expecting but was pleasantly surprised to see her there. In-between them sat both Michael, and to my enormous surprise, Rainbow Dash. Though I hadn't been told otherwise, I had expected Michael to still be in the city helping out whoever needed him.

_I guess Michael must have received a similar summons. But for the love of all things holy, what is Rainbow doing here? She was left broken and bleeding when I last saw her!_

Beside me Fluttershy apparently was having similar thoughts. "Rainbow Dash!" she yelled and began flapping her wings to get some altitude over the multicolored pegasus. "Why are you out of your bed? I told you to rest there until your wing healed!"

Rainbow raised her forelegs to try and ward off the intense gaze the Fluttershy was giving her. "Fluttershy, relax. I'm perfectly fine. When Princess Luna found me in your ward, she healed me right up. The wing is all fixed and everything, look!" Rainbow stood and turned to present her right wing to us. Her wing was still actually folded to her body by a few rolls of bandages, but very few bandages were used and the wing was for the most part exposed. As far as I could tell it looked perfectly fine. There was no discoloration or apparent cuts on it, the feathers even looked freshly preened. Even the various cuts and bruises that she'd earned had completely disappeared, thanks to Luna's magic.

Luna thumped a hoof against the table and shot Rainbow a disapproving glance. "What else?" she said in the same tone of voice that a mother would use on a child that was trying to worm out of a deal.

Rainbow rolled her eyes and sat back down, "But the muscles still need a little time to recover, so no flying for a day at least."

Fluttershy looked between Luna and Rainbow and visibly relaxed after their explanation. She landed and took a seat next to Rainbow, "Alright, but if it starts hurting again I want you to come and see me immediately." Fluttershy then turned her attention to Luna, "What about you, are you okay?"

Luna did in fact look extremely worn out. Her ethereal blue mane drooped down as opposed to floating behind her, and her eyes were so sunken and baggy that they made Fluttershy look energetic by comparison. "I'm just tired. Creating and maintaining a mild transformation spell for every guard and soldier in the city took a lot out of me."

I hadn't really considered that, but she was right. While Celestia's conjured star probably took more energy to get going, it was largely a self sustaining process once it got going. Luna's working was not. Luna had to imagine the exact change that she had wanted to apply to Canterlot's protectors, and then apply that change to each individual pony in the city while ignoring the vampires. With the energy that must have required to start up and sustain, I was surprised she wasn't comatose.

I hadn't noticed it but during Fluttershy's fussing over Rainbow and Luna, Celestia had gotten up from her seat and had moved next to me. "Applejack and Twilight are not with you," she said just loud enough so that only I could hear her.

I jumped a little at the sudden presence of the sun princess, but I calmed down soon enough and responded, "Twilight's resting and Applejack's watching over her." I spoke in a cold finality that I hoped sent the message that I didn't want her moved.

Celestia looked at me with an expression that I couldn't quite place. She looked as though she was barely containing some strong emotion, and was unsure of what exactly she was supposed to do with it. "How is she?" Celestia whispered again. I arched an eyebrow at her in response. Her head dipped a bit before she explained, "I read the casualty reports. After the Red Court fled the city I was given a preliminary on civilian casualties, and saw that Twilight's parents were on it." She looked back up at me with a supreme look of concern on her face, "How is she?"

I looked around for a moment to make sure we couldn't be overheard. Rarity and Pinkie had crowded around Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Michael and had undoubtedly begun telling them the specifics of what had happened last night. Luna, who grew tired of waiting, dug into her large salad. We wouldn't be overheard.

I turned back to face Celestia and spoke under my breath, "I don't know. I mean she's a tough mare, but I have very little experience with this kind of situation. Both my parents have been dead for almost as long as I can remember. I never had the connection with mine that Twilight had with hers." I shrugged my shoulders, "I could probably help her cope with her loss, but she has to come to terms with it first."

Celestia sighed and nodded her head, a faint pained glint in her eye, "Very well. They will be given a burial befitting royalty. Hopefully that will help."

We both let out tired sighs and moved over towards the table. Pinkie was busy reenacting some part of the previous night to her audience. Rainbow and Michael were watching with some measure of interest, and Fluttershy was busy trying to hide behind her while still drinking in every important detail. Rarity had given up trying to tell the story and took a seat next to Luna. I took the seat next to Rarity and began eating my own simple breakfast of hay and apples.

"And then the scary Red King stepped out of the fire. He looked all scary and melted and stuff, but he got better real fast," Pinkie recounted excitedly. "We were all held against the wall, and he started choking Harry first. Harry made a weird face like this." I looked up in time to see Pinkie's face contorting into some ridiculous, almost comedic show of pain. I was fairly certain that I had never made a face like that in my life, and not just because I've only had the muzzle necessary for about two weeks. "But then Celestia came in, and boom!" She reared back and threw her forelegs in the air. "Celestia makes a mini-sun and the Red King catches fire underneath it. And that's how we saved Equestria."

"That was quite the story. You should be proud that you protected your home as you did," Michael chuckled and patted a hoof on Pinkie's back before returning to his own plate of food.

Rainbow let out a low whistle. "Dang, I kind of wish I could have seen that."

Rarity nudged my side with her hoof and asked, "Harry, does that mean that you and Michael are going home now?"

Across the table Michael looked up from his plate and watched me carefully. His questing eyes and ears monitored me to see what I would do next. I opened my mouth to respond that I wasn't certain that we were entirely done, but was cut off by a few loud thumps from the end of the table.

Celestia had stomped her hoof on the ground a few times to get our attention and now towered over us, a rather disturbing sense of seriousness radiating from the usually motherly princess. "Actually that is partly why I have asked you all to come here. It is my belief that the Red King yet lives."

This statement was met with a not unexpected amount of shock. Pinkie and Rarity, who had actually seen the Red King burn, merely stared at the princess in complete and utter disbelief. Rainbow grunted and instinctively began tensing and relaxing her muscles, her now healed wing visibly strained against its restraints. Fluttershy let out a small squeak and seemed to visibly shrink away, as though trying to disappear from the conversation altogether. Michael looked at the princess with a certain amount of steely resolve where there had previously been the cheerfulness of victory. Luna didn't react at all. She just kept eating her salad, her eyes were unfocused and half lidded.

I droned them all out and turned my thoughts to how Celestia came to that conclusion. My hooves tapped a steady rhythm as I thought. I only believed of the possibility that the Red King was still alive because I saw him change shape when he should have just burned. I remembered the odd haze leaving his body even as it shrunk from a stallion of Celestia's proportions down to an average sized vampire.

_But Celestia didn't actually see that, so why does she think he's still alive?_

I had to ask myself what would immediately change with the Red Kings death. What was the one thing that we believed the Red King was responsible for maintaining. "The veil…" I muttered under my breath. I looked back up at the princess and spoke louder so that everypony could hear, "You tried to open into the Nevernever."

Celestia nodded in confirmation. "Correct, Dresden. Shortly after the Red Court had fled I received a report that you and your team had conflicted with the Red King and that he was still in the city when I created the star. I was hopeful that would have ended all of this right there. Though the only way I could think of to confirm his destruction was to try and pierce the veil that he was holding closed around Equestria." Celestia shook her head slightly, "Which, I'm sad to say, is still being held shut by Red Court magic."

"But that doesn't necessarily mean that it's the Red King!" Rarity countered desperately. "Some other vampire unicorn could have taken over the spell, or even recreated it if they had to."

Celestia shook her head again, "No, the flow of energy in the barrier is the exact same now as it was when I first tried to open a Way."

Fluttershy rubbed a hoof behind her head and whispered, "But I don't understand, why does that mean that it can't be another unicorn?"

"Because, no two practitioners work magic in the exact same way," I answered for Celestia. Rarity and Michael at least seemed to understand what I meant, but Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow all watched me with clearly confused looks. I sighed and continued with my explanation, "All magic has a kind of feel to it, an aura if you will. Practitioners can feel that aura and, assuming they've felt that same aura before, can usually guess who specifically cast the magic. For example last night when that smog swept over the city and gave us all night vision, I extended my senses into it to try and get a clue of what it was." I waved a hoof at Luna, who was about one warm glass of milk away from unconsciousness, "I could tell that it was Luna's magic because I felt that same aura when she healed the cuts across my muzzle."

"So if the magic holding the veil closed is the same now…" Pinkie started.

"Then whoever originally cast it is still maintaining it," Celestia finished for her.

"While technically that doesn't have to be the Red King, he's by far the most likely culprit," I added. "Of the original three he was the only one with magic. I suppose he could have gotten extremely lucky and captured and turned an exceptionally powerful unicorn in the first day or so since being here, but it's more likely that the Red King made the barrier."

Rarity started shaking her head, "But that just doesn't make sense. We saw him die, we saw him burn under Celestia's conjured sun!"

This was where things devolved into frantic guesswork and it was entirely possible that I was wrong, but I had a good hunch that my guess was right. "No, I don't think we did." I leaned forward on the table, using my forelegs for support as I tilted forward, "I think we saw his puppet burn."

Several seconds of confused silence followed this statement, broken first by Michael who asked, "Harry, what are you talking about?"

I sat back on my haunches as I explained, "Just before he caught fire, I saw a bit a bit of smoke rise from him and zip of into the distance. After the smoke left, his body changed and shrunk back into a standard size pony." I scooted forward a bit on my seat, "I don't think the Red King has ever set a hoof in Canterlot. I think he was acting through a puppet."

"So he was what… possessing one of his unicorns?" Michael asked.

I shook my head, "Not exactly. Possessing implies that the thing doing the possessing doesn't have a physical body of its own. It's more like he was channeling his consciousness through a temporary host."

"Is that even possible?" Rarity asked.

"Possible? Yes. Easy? Oh good lord no." I ran my hoof over my still tender neck as I began running through my memories. "I've seen it done once before, although not to this extent. A while back at home I had a run in with a different flavor of vampires called the Black Court. The commander of the small group I'd run into actually spoke through one of vampires there and controlled his basic movements. I'm willing to bet the Red King did something similar, although to a much more intense degree."

Beside me Rarity rubbed a hoof under her chin as she tried to process my theory, "That actually makes a little sense."

Rainbow just flipped her mane at us in aggravation, "Well maybe it makes sense to you eggheads, but I'm lost."

"Well darling, if the Red King has enough power to seal the veil around Equestria, then why didn't he attack us with an actual offensive spell?" Rarity offered. "As much as I hate to say it he had us dead to rights, but he chose to do the deed with simple telekinesis. Why?"

I picked up on her logic chain, and was impressed by her understanding of very complicated magic. Her lessons with Luna were really paying off. "Because he wasn't able to do anything more through the puppet," I said as I pieced together the different facts into a workable explanation. "He was too focused on maintaining the connection and preserving the body to allow for any kind of complicated attack." My stomach clenched around my freshly eaten meal as I realized the damage that kind of control would inflict on whoever it being was done to. "Hells bells. With the amount of power he'd have to channel through the host in order to change its body to suit the invading consciousness, it would almost certainly destroy the host's sanity."

Fluttershy began shaking in her seat across the table. "S-so he s-sacrificed one of his own just so he could safely take part in the attack?"

"Yeah, he sure sounds like a great boss doesn't he?" I ignored Fluttershy's uncomfortable shifting while I focused on the much more disturbing trait about the Red King. "While that's all nice and demented, there's still one thing I just can't figure out." I turned back around to face Celestia, who looked to still be processing our ramblings. "Celestia, the Red King had power, tons of it. He may not have been able to make full use of all of it through the puppet, but it was there." I began shaking my head as I tried to imagine how he could've amassed all of that power without us noticing. "I know of one or two methods to amplify your power to a fairly insane degree, but they're generally extremely noticeable processes. When I touched his power it felt like his own. I couldn't feel any foreign entity, so I doubt there's a spirit aiding him. I just don't understand how a practitioner could get as much power as he had in a relatively short amount of time without somepony noticing something."

Celestia's eyes narrowed in sudden concentration. Something about what I'd said echoed somewhere in the back of her mind. She frowned and her eyes began shifting slightly as she sorted through the many memories of her unimaginably long life. For a couple of minutes we all just sat there and watched as her focus grew ever more intense. I saw it when something finally clicked into place in her head as she finally made some connection. Her eyes grew wide with disbelief, and perhaps even a little fear.

"It can't be," she muttered to no pony in particular. "She's dead, I saw her die."

Many of us at the table exchanged worried glances, even Luna looked up from her tired daze to glance questioningly at her older sister. I cleared my throat to break the sudden silence to try and snap Celestia out of her reminiscence. "Would you care to share with the rest of the class?" Across the table Pinkie failed to stifle a giggle, I ignored it and focused on the princess.

Celestia seemed to ignore my statement and continued to mutter to herself. "I knew I'd seen bodies like those before. But how is this happening again? We destroyed everything."

I struck a hoof on the stone floor, creating a loud reverberating tone that finally snapped Celestia out of her trance. "Hey, we're still here. Now what in the world are you talking about?"

Celestia sighed and rubbed a hoof to her temple, "Those strange bodies, I know how those poor ponies died."

"The ones without cutie marks?" Pinkie asked, tilting her head slightly.

Celestia nodded, "Yes, they were killed by a spell that was designed by a mad unicorn mare long ago." She turned to look intently at me, "I believe you would have called her a warlock."

Luna's exhaustion faded as she finally spoke, "Celestia, what are you talking about?"

Celestia looked back at her younger sister, "This all happened so long ago. You were only a little child, you wouldn't remember it. Quite frankly I'm surprised I remembered it at all." She sighed again and her face became strained as she tried to comb through her memories, "The given name of this unicorn was lost with her sanity. Among those that knew of her existence, she became known as the Life Drinker, or some other such name." Several mutters sounded around the table, and Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy gave each other worried looks. "This mare devised a spell that allowed her to assault the minds of her victims. Once she successfully broke their will, she drained them of all the energy in their bodies and added it to her own. She took all the energy their bodies needed to function and once it was gone they simply shut down, leaving behind a body with little physical damage and no cutie mark."

My mind reeled at the implications, and shuddered at the demented thoughts that had created such a spell. "You had a unicorn that could eat a death curse?" my mouth said automatically. That earned me more than a few odd looks. Most every mare at the table glanced at me with confused faces. Only Michael knew what I had meant and began running through his own logic chain at what this could mean.

"What do you mean by death curse?" Rarity asked.

_Yeah that figures._

"A death curse is common practice among the wizards of my world," I explained. "It's a spell that a wizard throws right before they die. Instead of using the energy in the environment, the wizard uses the energy that sustains their body. The energy that keeps the heart pumping, keeps the synapses firing in the brain, and keeps each individual cell in your body doing its job. All of that energy results in an extremely powerful attack that a wizard uses to try and kill whatever is about to kill them. You know an eye for an eye and all that." I looked back over at Celestia, "But you say that there was a unicorn that could absorb that same energy?"

Celestia nodded in the affirmative, "Yes, but she was killed shortly after we began finding the bodies. She was careful, only performing the spell about once a week. But by the time we tracked down her lair deep in the forests, she had already absorbed enough power to be a significant threat on her own." She sighed and shook her head, "It took two full battalions to stop her. Even then, when it became clear that she would lose, she released all of her power in one massive burst. She killed most every soldier I sent along with herself."

"What about her things?" I asked. "You don't make a spell like that and not take notes on it."

"Her base was destroyed in the explosion, as well as several hundred feet of land around it." Celestia grimaced and massaged her temples again, "We… We searched through the rubble and burned whatever we could find. I also ordered any public records of her to be destroyed in the hopes to prevent a curious pony following in her hoof steps, except for the sealed Canterlot archives of course."

"That would certainly explain a lot," I muttered out loud. "If the energy from all of those ponies we found were absorbed by the Red King, then that might explain how he's remained relatively undetected so long. He must have gotten lucky and either stumbled across this safe house or turned somepony that knew of it."

"Yes where is this safe house?" Rarity asked. "You must have just missed some secret room after the warlock died."

Celestia's eyes narrowed again as she tried to remember, but whatever innate power that preserved what she'd already said had evidently run out. She grunted and shook her head in frustration, "I… I can't remember. You have to understand, this all happened well over a thousand years ago. The land has changed since then, forests have grown and died, towns built and abandoned. I may be ageless, but my memory is as fallible as yours." She looked over at a pile of boxes in the corner of the room I hadn't noticed, "Information on the Life Drinker's hideaway will be in the archives. All we need to do is locate it and then compare the maps from that period with their modern counterparts."

I rubbed a hoof under my chin and eyed the boxes in the corner. "Well, it's not much to go on, but it's more than we had." I looked back up at Celestia, "There are enough soldiers that know how to fight the Red Court now, they can teach the classes. I'd like to help search for information on this hideaway. If there's anything useful to be had there, then that's what I want to focus on."

Celestia nodded her head, "Very well, I will make the necessary arrangements. Will you be joining the rest of the staff I've assigned to this task in the archives, or will you want to browse the documents from your room?"

I looked back across the room at the three large boxes, "Rest of the staff, what are you talking about? There are only a couple of boxes."

She followed my gaze back to the stacked crates, and chuckled slightly, "Oh, no. That's not all the documents that we have to look over, that's just what I planned to go through today. We have to search through several hundred years of ancient archives, and a proper filing system has only been implemented about four hundred years ago. The information we need could be in any of the sealed archives."

My breakfast turned into a brick in my stomach. "How many boxes of history are we talking about?"

Celestia shifted a little from her seat and pawed at the ground nervously, "Well…"

"About fifteen thousand," Luna supplied absentmindedly, her head actually resting on the table for support. Luna straitened up a little as her older sister shot her a withering glare. "What? Was I not supposed to say?"

I don't think I could have been any more shocked even if a bagpipe playing goat burst through the ceiling and beat me to death with my plate. "Fi-Fifteen thousand!"

"That's going to take forever!" cried Rainbow from her side of the table.

Celestia raised a hoof to try and calm us, "Now now, it's not as bad as you think. After you returned from Manehattan with the strange bodies, I immediately began searching through the archives for this same information. I've already had the top hundred best professors, scholars, and aids flown in from around Equestria to aid my search. Now that we know exactly what we're looking for, the search will be even faster. All that we need is time, and after the Red Court's defeat last night, time is exactly what we have."

I was none too comforted by her words. I turned to look at Michael and muttered in a breathless tone, "We're going to be stuck in Equestria forever aren't we?"

Celestia's magic aura surrounded two of the boxes and floated them over to sit on the table before me, pushing my plate out of the way as she did so. "Here, why don't you take these for now and maybe you can join the scholars in the archives later."

Now that I could inspect them up close, I could see that the boxes were larger than I thought they were. If I curled up tight enough I probably could have fit inside one, and they were completely full of random history. Both boxes were full of folders, small books, and loose reams of paper. My hope for any kind of swift resolution dwindled in indirect proportion with my workload. "I won't be joining the scholars. I prefer to do research on my own. I'll send for more boxes as necessary."

Rainbow pushed away from the table and her empty plate, "I guess we're not going home then. If anypony needs me, I'll be back on the sparring grounds." Fluttershy disagreed. Fluttershy immediately looked up from her own empty plate and glared at Rainbow with a gaze that I'd normally reserve for a feral vampire. Rainbow recoiled from her gaze and hastily said, "On second thought, I'll be in my room resting. The sparring can wait until tomorrow."

I looked at Rainbow and silently mouthed, "Wise choice." Fluttershy still frowned, but at least looked content that Rainbow would have recovered by then.

Pinkie got up from her seat and made her way to stand next to Celestia. Pinkie wore a large hopeful grin and gleaming eyes that seemed to unnerve Celestia just as much as they did me. "Princess, I was thinking about how to help cheer everypony up, and I thought I could bake a large cake for everypony! I already asked-"

_Please don't, please don't, please don't._

"-Dresden, and he said it'd be fine so long as I asked you first!" Pinkie said excitedly.

Celestia looked at me with a mixture of shock and disapproval on her face. I merely shrugged noncommittally and silently wished that I could create a permanent soundproof bubble to envelope Pinkie's head.

Celestia turned back to face Pinkie and spoke with a calm air of authority, "Pinkie that sounds like a really bad idea." I snickered at Celestia's exact copy of the words I'd said to Pinkie, earning a frosty glare from Rarity next to me. I bit back my tongue out of respect for Pinkie's personal brand of coping, and out of fear for being smacked again by Rarity's judgmental hoof. During all of this, Pinkie gave Celestia the exact same look of pouty adorableness that she had offered me, and it was having about the same effect. Celestia shifted uncomfortably but couldn't seem to break eye contact with Pinkie, "Fine, you may pass around pastries to the wounded in the hospital wing of the castle. Will that satisfy you?"

While it wasn't exactly what she had wanted, Pinkie beamed anyway and bounced over towards the large double doors. "Don't worry, I'll get all those hurt ponies smiling again!" she cried as she vanished from the room.

I broke the following silence first by admitting aloud, "She scares me sometimes, and not just because I have no idea where she got her hammer."

"She actually mentioned that to me once," Michael offered. "She said it's a family heirloom, and is some kind of tool used on a rock farm."

The words 'rock farm' just didn't want to mesh with my brain. "Why would you…" I stopped and threw up my forelegs, "You know what, I don't want to know." The two large boxes before me became wrapped in my deep red magic, and floated into the air beside me as I got up from the table. "I've got work to do." I looked at the three remaining members of my team, "If you need anything I'll be in my room."

I turned on the spot and left the dining hall and its occupants behind me. As the large double doors closed shut behind me, I could just make out Luna speaking to Rarity. "Rarity, I would have your help with arranging some royal announcements. You can practice your illusions while we work."

I ignored their mumblings and carried my work back with me to the barracks. Again I stuck to the side passages of the castle to try and avoid the frightened eyes of Canterlot's citizens, but I couldn't avoid all the larger passages altogether. My roundabout route forced me to cut through the main entry hall of the castle to get at the corridor nearest the barracks. As I passed through the main hallway I saw a large crowd of citizens I hadn't noticed on earlier. The ponies in question were mostly curled up on scavenged cushions and blankets, exhausted as they were from the fear of an attack. Many were awake and were looking around the room to satisfy themselves that they were safe.

The citizens that were awake seemed to be calmer than I would have expected. They were still very much afraid, but it was a much more manageable fear. They were not feeling the intense and twitchy fear that demands immediate action, which I had witnessed the previous night as they fled into the castle. They experienced instead the nervous but restrained kind of fear most children experience from the safety of their parents bed after they have a bad dream. The nice thick walls of Canterlot Castle offered them all a sense of safety and well being, and were probably the only reason we weren't dealing with widespread panic and riots.

I managed to carry my boxes pass the crowded entry hall without attracting questions and quickly entered the barracks. The barrack was still mostly empty. There were a few guardsponies that were worn ragged and moved slowly for the barrack's sleeping quarters. One or two of them noticed my presence and waved at me before returning to their precious beds.

I went up the nearby staircase and moved over to my own room, the two large boxes of history still floating behind me. I stopped outside my door, unsure of how best to proceed. I decided to play it safe and knocked a hoof against my door. There was a slight shuffling sound from the other side of the door before it cracked open just enough for one of Applejack's large green eyes peek through. After she saw who was at the door, she opened it wide enough to slip into the hallway and closed it silently behind her.

I cocked an eyebrow at her odd behavior, "Is Twilight still sleeping?"

Applejack shook her head, "I'm not sure. She was awake a little bit ago, but she's lying back down on the bed again. I thought I'd be quiet just in case."

"How is she?" I asked.

"She ate some food at least," Applejack offered. "I tried to talk to her, to get her to open up a bit, but she hasn't said a word so far."

_Well, at least she's eating. That's a good sign._

I nodded at Applejack, "Thanks, I'll take it from here." I hesitated to think for a moment, "Go find Rarity, she'll fill you in on everything we talked about. She should be with Luna for a while."

"Alrighty." Applejack turned to leave, but paused for a moment and looked back around, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

The two boxes of loose history floated into the air around me again, "That depends, how good are you at combing through countless documents for a specific piece of information?"

Applejack blanched a little and looked back at my door, "No, that's… that's more Twilight's thing. Give me a call if you need anything." With that said, she turned and left down the staircase to go and search for Rarity.

I heaved a sigh and pushed open the door to my room and entered, the two boxes following me inside. Upon entering the room I noted that it looked more or less how I left it. The loose assortment of furniture was relatively untouched and Twilight was still lying on my bed with her back to the rest of the room. Although I did see that there were two plates that had been picked clean of food and were sitting on my desk. I smiled at that and sat back down on the cushion I had fallen asleep on.

I didn't want to bother Twilight whether she was sleeping or thinking. She would sort through her troubles soon enough. So with that in mind I began doing what fills about ninety percent of every wizard's free time. Research. Tedious, mind numbing, want-to-dig-out-my-higher-brain-functions-with-the-end-of-a-sharpened-stick research.

For hours I sat there just shifting through paper after paper and book after book, looking for the one piece of information that was supposedly hidden in there. During my search I found many nuggets of information that, under normal circumstances, I would have loved to investigate further but instead only served to aggravate and irritate. I found studies detailing the growth of specific plants, reports on the movement and stability of foreign powers outside Equestria about five hundred years ago, and I even found a book on the popular cultural stories of zebras.

I searched for several hours before anything else managed to register in my mind. A loud knocking resounded throughout the room as somepony knocked on my door. "Come in," I said as I set down a report on the underground discoveries and tunnel systems of creatures called diamond dogs.

One of my battalion poked his lime green head into my room and looked over at me, "Commander, are you okay? It's well past noon and none of the others have seen you in the mess hall."

That thought had confused me. I had been busy researching true, but I could have sworn that I had only been there for a couple of hours at the most. My stomach disagreed on that matter. Now that I paid attention to it I could feel my stomach growling loudly, forcing me to add a few more hours to my perceived work time. "Uh, right, I've been a bit busy. Could I get you to bring a lunch tray to me?"

The soldier nodded and began to withdraw, "Of course."

"Wait!" The soldier stopped and looked back at me. I craned my neck to look at the unmoving Twilight, "Bring two trays of food."

"Yes, Commander," the soldier said and then withdrew properly.

I sighed and returned to my research. I dove back into the report on the diamond dogs, hoping to try and find some clue that might lead to rediscovering the location of an underground warlock den. My stomach was left unhappy for only about ten minutes or so. Right as I reached a segment of the report that detailed the construction of a diamond dog city, there was another knocking at my door, followed by the distinct noise of hooves moving away from my room.

I heaved myself up from my cushion, enjoying several popping joints as I did so, and moved over to my door. I pushed it open with a hoof and looked around for the soldier I had seen earlier. Except for me, the hallway was completely empty. I looked down at my hooves and noticed two trays of food in the same plastic containers that I had seen the other day. But on top of the stacked trays, was a plate with a single cupcake with pink frosting.

I smiled at the gesture. It was great to know that Twilight's friends were keeping their distance but still wanted her to know that she had friends nearby.

I lifted the meals and the cupcake in my magic and retreated back into my room. As soon as I backed up and closed the door, I turned around to place Twilight's meal where she would notice it, and froze in place. Twilight was sitting straight up on my bed and was watching me with a piercing gaze. The Smarty Pants doll sat in-between her forelegs.

I stepped forward and placed one of the meals on the floor near my cushion and the other with the cupcake on the bed next to her. "Hey, you okay?"

Her only response was complete silence. Her eyes tracked the meal as it landed next to her, and a small smile played across lips as she noticed the cupcake. The small plate with the cupcake drifted over to my desk as Twilight popped the lid off her lunch.

I decided to proceed with the age old and perfectly healthy practice of putting your personal problems on the backburner. "I was meeting with the princesses earlier, we talked and we actually have something of a plan now. Want to hear?" She only answered with more silence. "I'll take that as a yes."

I heaved a sigh and took a quick bite of some grains. After I sated my angry stomach, I began recounting everything that was discussed earlier in the dining hall. I described our theory on the source of the Red King's power, how he might have found that source, and what we were doing to try and fight him. Throughout the entire explanation Twilight remained stone faced and her calculating eyes focused on me, I could practically see the gears moving in her head as she processed. The only times her face betrayed any kind of emotion were when I mentioned the Red King. Whenever I did this, her eyes narrowed slightly and something much darker than her usual curiosity flashed across her features.

"So now I'm looking through a mountain of paper to try and find the one piece that is actually useful," I said while throwing up my forelegs for a sense of dramatic frustration.

I set my hooves back down and drew the half empty box I was going through closer. I looked at the couple of pages on the top to try and see if there was anything that caught my attention. Just as I gave up and picked a paper at random, Twilight's Smarty Pants doll floated over and sat down on top of the box.

"Where did you get that?" Twilight asked in a carefully level voice.

I looked back up at Twilight. Her face had returned to its expressionless mask, but her eyes were wide with the desperation for an answer. This was a conversation that I really didn't want to have, but it was a conversation that Twilight evidently needed. "I bought it. The other day when I was in the Canterlot market, I met up with Rarity and I found it in a thrift shop."

"Why," she said simply.

I averted my eyes and shook my head a little, "I wasn't thinking straight at the time. Remember that was the day where my head wasn't quite right."

Those words struck a chord in her head. Her ears perked up and her eyes narrowed at me, "You never said that whatever happened to you lasted for the entire day. We could only assume that it was instantaneous. You bought the doll when your thinking was altered, but then hid it when you were restored. Why?"

I could feel a large brick being dropped into my stomach. I hadn't counted on her being able to catch a slip on the tongue like that, but now that she had I couldn't exactly worm out of it. "I forgot."

"Lie," she growled.

I waved a hoof dismissively, "You misunderstand. I forgot everything, everything before two weeks ago." I stopped right there, unwilling to elaborate any further, but evidently I didn't have to.

Twilight immediately began running through her own logic chain as she processed what I had said. She looked down at her hooves and began mumbling to herself as she thought. I tried to listen in on what she was saying, but only caught the words "A conflict of interests," before her eyes widened somewhat as if coming to some realization. She looked back up at me, an odd blend of sadness and curiosity on her face, "Is the Red King really still alive?"

I blinked at that, my thought process completely derailed by the sudden change in topic. "Uh, yes, we believe so. There are other possibilities, but he is the simplest and the most likely."

The Smarty Pants doll and the second crate I had brought in were both enveloped by a lavender aura and floated over to sit down in front of Twilight.

"Good, then there's still something I can do to help," she said as she took out various pieces of paper and began looking through them.

"Wait, what?" I sputtered. "Twilight, no. Go be with your friends. Take some time and clear your head."

"No!" she yelled at me, her face betraying the first hint of true rage I'd seen in her thus far. She reigned in her temper and her face became much softer as she looked at me, "I don't want to leave just yet. I like research. It calms me and helps to order my thoughts." The cupcake on my desk also became shrouded by Twilight's magic as she lifted it into the air and separated it into two even halves. "And I am with a friend." One of the halves drifted over to me, and I happily accepted it. "Besides, every paper we go through brings me closer to sticking my horn through the Red King's twisted heart," she finished, her voice becoming steadily angrier as she voiced her last thought.

That last statement made it abundantly clear that she had changed, whether she was entirely stable or not remained to be seen. I felt horrible that she had been maneuvered into the situation that she was in. The pain that she had taken was more than any should have to endure, but at the same time I was a little proud. I relished the thought of standing beside her and throwing our combined power against the Red Court. I knew that Twilight would fight to her dying breath against those that had wronged her. With her raw power, finite control of delicate magic, and newfound personal vendetta against the Red Court, she would be a true terror to behold when she next confronts a vampire.

I've said it once before, and I'll say it again: The vast majority of the time, a monster's worst enemy is one of their own making.


	17. Chapter 17

**Flesh Masks Ch. 17**

Despite all the hysterics of recent events, once I was given an actual finite objective I'd quickly established my precious routine. From morning to night I'd barricade myself in my room with multiple boxes of random history. I only left my room by choice to get food, go to the bathroom, or to shower as necessary. Although I was, from time to time, forced from my room by a particular purple unicorn mare as she dragged me along to join her and her friends.

I planted my hooves into the floor of my room to try and root myself there, but to no avail. "Twilight no, I'm only on my fourth box. I really need to focus," I groaned at Twilight, who had seized my tail in her telekinetic grip and had begun to literally drag me from my work.

"Rainbow has been waiting patiently for the past day, and now that she's off bed rest she's invited both of us to watch her flying session. Now get off your lazy flank and let's go!" Twilight countered and gave another sharp tug on my tail, succeeding in dragging me several more inches from the papers and sending a small jolt of pain up my spine.

"Hey, watch it!" I shouted over my back at her. "That is connected to my spine you know. Why can't you just go with one of the others?"

Twilight relaxed her magic around my tail, but didn't actually release it. "Applejack and Pinkie are in a private session with Michael, Rarity is with Luna, and Fluttershy is still in the medical wing looking over the injured," Twilight stated with an absolute certainty. "Now let's get going, Harry," she said as she yanked on my tail again.

I was sure that what she said was true. I'd seen that Twilight had chosen a coping mechanism that, under the circumstances, was probably the best available. She had chosen to cling to her friends harder than she ever had before. Over the past day Twilight's friends had all spoken to her and offered what consolations they could, and in response Twilight offered them all of her free time. If one of her friends even suggested an activity for them to do, Twilight would find a way to make it happen.

While Twilight was giving her friends as much of her time as they wanted, the one she clung to the most was me. For the past day she had spent almost all of her time with me in my room helping me search through Canterlot's records. I had asked her several times to go and unwind, but she refused every time, as though she were unwilling to leave me alone. Twilight even asked if she could stay with me instead of returning to her room the night after the attack. I obliged and offered her my bed, but she chose to take the large red cushion that was still sitting at the foot of my bed instead. I didn't mind the company. In fact I was happier knowing she was nearby and physically safe.

Her coping mechanism wasn't by any means a bad one. If you find yourself with a sudden hole in your life, it's natural to try and fill it with other friends and family. While her friends were her salvation at the time, they could also be her ruin. Until Twilight found stability she would rely heavily on her friends, and if any of those friends were to meet the same fate as her parents, then she would likely be destroyed utterly.

All of this only meant that Twilight was going to go watch Rainbow, and she was going to bring me with her. Whether I went willingly or if she had to beat me into submission, was for me to decide.

"Fine, you win!" I cried as pain shot up my spine. "I'll go, just let me grab one of these boxes. I might as well get some work done while we're out."

Twilight rolled her eyes at me and released my tail. With the sudden lack of a backward force, I very nearly face planted into my carpeted floor. I caught myself at the last second and stumbled forward into the large red cushion that Twilight had slept on. I flicked my tail to try and straighten it as the nearest box of papers was enveloped by my red energy and floated over to me.

"Come on, come on, come on!" Twilight squeaked and practically danced on the spot as I walked up to her. "We have to get to the Wonderbolt circuit now!" The look on her face was a tad closer to desperation than any actual desire to watch her friend. Our simple lateness was causing a bit more stress on the mare than I had expected.

"Would you calm down already? I'm going." I drew even with Twilight and reached out a hoof to open my door, but stopped as I noticed an odd sense of warmth spreading across my fur.

I looked over myself to see what it was that was happening, and saw that a blanket of purple energy was enveloping me. I realized exactly what she was doing about half a second before she finished her spell. In a flash of bright purple light, I suddenly found myself standing in the bleachers around the Wonderbolt's racing circuit.

I had never teleported before, and I found the process to be extremely unnerving. I had seen Twilight teleport herself and other objects before, and had even asked how she did it, but the resulting lecture almost made my brain implode from the sheer complexity of the magic. The transition was nearly instantaneous, but my entire body felt extremely warm as though I had been standing in direct sunlight for several hours.

I spun to face Twilight who was standing next to me and looked winded slightly after the spell. "Warn me before you do that next time!"

"Well I had to get us here as soon as possible Harry. Whoa-" Twilight tried to take a step forward, but her forelegs moved sluggishly and she tripped over her own hooves. I reflexively jumped forward and ducked my head under Twilight so that her chest fell onto the back of my neck. The contact was met with an uncomfortable second or two of silence after which Twilight quickly got back to her hooves. "Thanks. I think that spell took a bit out of me. The further I teleport and the more I teleport with me, the more energy it takes."

"Don't worry about it." I offered her a steadying hoof and walked her over to a nearby seat. Once she was situated, I sat down next to her to look at the open area in front of us. Rainbow's practice session had already begun. There were several different pegasi darting around the circuit while practicing aerial maneuvers and several more arranged in a firing line and firing crossbow bolts at floating targets.

I looked around the field to try and spot the headstrong pegasus that Twilight had dragged me to come see. I found the multicolored mare up in the air performing complex maneuvers with her fellow pegasi. I couldn't see her expression from where I sat, but something about the energetic speed with which she darted around the sky told me that she was happy to be out of her bed rest.

I sighed and looked back over at the spot where Twilight had teleported us to, and found the box of papers sitting on a bleacher. I levitated the box over so I could resume combing through it as Twilight simply watched her friend. I withdrew a book on more discoveries made by the Diamond Dogs and reopened it to my bookmarked page. I skimmed through it, only spending about fifteen seconds or so on any given page, but kept finding myself distracted by the mare next to me.

I noticed that as Twilight sat and watched her friend soar through the skies, she also visibly relaxed into her seat. Several of her muscles, particularly those around her shoulders and flanks, relaxed and let the tension that had been building there melt away. The simple act of being near her friends seemed to be letting her forget her troubles. I knew from experience that the simple absence of pain, even temporarily, is almost a drug in itself. I smiled at her and returned to my search.

Rainbow's flight session didn't last too long. We were only out there watching for about half an hour or so, during which very little was said between Twilight and I besides the occasional clarification of Equestrian history. At the half hour mark a loud whistle sounded from high above us. I looked up and saw that many of the pegasi were dispersing, and that one particular multicolored blur was shooting directly at us.

Twilight noticed Rainbow's sudden change in direction and dove out of the way at the last second. Twilight's dive brought her towards me and just a little bit forward, landing her just inside of my box of files. Rainbow came to a sudden halt with a loud _thonk_, as she landed just in front of where Twilight sat an instant before. While Rainbow's trajectory didn't actually put her in a collision course with Twilight, I could still understand Twilight's reflex to dive out of the way. When something is hurtling towards you at blurring speeds, rational thought gets suspended and reflex takes over.

"Hey there Twilight, what are you doing in a box?" Rainbow said with a slight chuckle in her throat.

Twilight began worming around in the box of papers to try and get her hooves back underneath her, "Rainbow, I'd really appreciate it if you wouldn't charge at us like that. It freaks me out every time."

Rainbow chuckled again, "Yeah, sorry about that." She turned her gaze from Twilight, who was only just dislodging herself from the box, and over to me. "Say Harry, what are you doing here?"

I glanced over at Twilight and raised an eyebrow at her, "I was under the impression that we were both invited."

Twilight, now standing back on her hooves and out of her cardboard prison, smiled sheepishly at me and began pawing at the ground with her forelegs.

Rainbow shrugged at us and failed to hide a smug smile, "Whatever, the more ponies watching me the better I suppose." Rainbow cast a slightly worried glance at Twilight and offered a sympathetic smile, "It's good to see you already up and about, Twilight. I'd figured you'd be out of commission for a while at least."

_Ah Rainbow, as subtle as a train derailment in the middle of a city._

Twilight smiled back at her friend, but it was a forced and wooden sort of smile that didn't go past the corners of her mouth. Several of the muscles around her shoulders and flanks tensed up again. "I'm alright Rainbow, really. I've been keeping busy helping Harry with his research. There'll be time to mourn when the Red Court is gone."

That perked my ears up a bit. It had only been a little over twenty-four hours since her parents' death and Twilight was already discussing it semi-casually with her friend. Oh sure she was lying her flank off that she was okay. Anypony with any knowledge of reading body language could see that the topic was still extremely painful for her. Though despite that, her ability to remain more or less functional was very interesting.

Evidently Rainbow's ability to read body language was on the same level as her subtlety. She flashed a quick grin at Twilight, "Well, that's good to hear. You know, Applejack and I were going to grab some lunch in Canterlot later. Do you wanna join us?"

Twilight beamed again and turned to look expectantly at me. I raised an amused eyebrow in response, "You're about to ask me to lunch aren't you?"

"Well if you're not doing anything," Twilight chuckled.

I rolled my eyes at the mare and hefted myself from my seat as Twilight and Rainbow turned to leave. I wasn't too frustrated at Twilight, in fact I was relieved. I didn't want to admit it too myself, much less the others, but I liked her, a lot. Not only that but I nearly idolized her. Twilight's whole life had been turned upside down in a relatively short amount of time, and she never stopped putting the safety of those near her above her own. She had the power necessary to protect those near her, and she used it. She personified the traits that I valued above all else, and it was hard not to dwell on that fact.

My relief came from the apparent control the Twilight was exerting over herself. If Twilight was able to keep herself together through sheer force of will, then she was stable enough to not need my help. If I was being brutally honest with myself, I wasn't sure if I could leave Equestria if Twilight was still too unstable from recent events. However her actions showed that she was recovering relatively well, given the circumstances. I relaxed knowing that I could force myself to leave when this was all over. I wouldn't like it, but I could shove my own desires aside if I needed to.

That was at least, until the day of Twilight's parents' funeral.

* * *

Two days had passed since Rainbow's release from bed rest, and they had passed with an annoying lack of urgency. My time not spent escorting Twilight to and from her excursions with her friends were spent searching through an ever increasing pile of papers for an obscure piece of information. For the past two nights Twilight refused to use her bed and continued sleeping on the cushion at the foot of mine. To the best of my knowledge the only time Twilight had been alone for the past few days were the few minutes when she used the bathroom. On the morning of the third day however, all of that changed.

I let out a wide yawn and stretched on my very comfortable bed, feeling something like a high school student seriously weighing the benefits of sleeping in against the cost of missing a final exam. I eventually kicked myself into movement and sat up from my bed and took stock of my room. Over the past few days I'd gone through several more of Canterlot's records, in which the closest thing to a reference of this 'Life Drinker' was a small collection of horror stories. These papers were all piled haphazardly next to my desk. Although what had caught my attention was that the large cushion where Twilight was sleeping was vacant.

My immediate thought was one of worry for Twilight. Given what had happened recently, if Twilight's actions were suddenly changing and she was seeking seclusion rather than her usual companionship, then that was a very bad sign. I hopped down from my bed and looked around, hoping for some clue as to where she had gone. I didn't have to search for very long.

On the ground near Twilight's cushion was a small piece of black-lined paper. It became wrapped in my red magic as I it levitated it up to read it. I felt the bottom drop out of my stomach as I realized what had happened. The letter was an invitation to the funeral of Twilight's parents. According to the letter it was going to be an early service, just after midday. I didn't know where Twilight was but I knew where she was going to be. I could only hope that she was going to be alright in the meantime.

I set about my established daily routine, trying to ignore the sense of dread that was growing in the back of my mind. I set out for a large meal somewhere around ten or eleven and swamped myself in my work, all the while becoming increasingly aware of how close I was getting to the event of the day.

About an hour after I had eaten there was a knocking at my door, and before I could answer, it swung open. A slightly distressed Applejack entered and looked intently at me. "There you are. Why aren't you with the rest of us?"

I blinked in response to the sudden intrusion, "Uh, what?"

Applejack sighed and shook her head in disbelief, "The funeral, Harry. We're all going to go to the funeral to support Twilight as a group." Her eyes became worried as she looked around the room, "Speaking of which, where is Twilight? We all kind of assumed she was in here with you."

I shook my head at her, "I don't know. She was gone when I woke up and I didn't bother trying to find her. With her abilities she wouldn't be found if she didn't want to be."

This news clearly disturbed Applejack. Her eyes darted around in her head as she tried to imagine where Twilight could have gone. "Well shoot, I was counting on being able to walk her there." She looked back up at me, "Well let's get going Dresden. Just because she's not here doesn't mean she won't show up."

I nodded my head in silent agreement and hefted myself from Twilight's cushion. I followed her out of my room and down the hallway. At the bottom of the staircase we ran into the rest of Twilight's friends. Rainbow, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie were all waiting patiently to meet up with us before we all left. The only one missing was Michael for some reason.

"Where's Twilight?" Fluttershy asked as soon as we came into view and it became clear that Twilight wasn't with us.

"She's not here," Applejack answered. "Dresden said she's been missing all day."

Several whispers sounded between the mares as they looked nervously between each other.

"Now now, I'm sure there's no need to worry," Rarity said aloud and offered a reassuring smile. "I'll bet she's already there and waiting for us."

"Let's get going," I grunted at the group. "I want to get this over with."

"I can understand that. Haven't been to too many funerals?" Applejack asked me as the rest of the group began moving down the hall.

"No," I responded and stepped past her. "Been to one too many."

I followed the mares through the castle in complete silence. Pinkie wasn't anywhere near the same level of depression she was after the Red Court attack, but she was being respectfully silent. I assumed that our destination was a painful reminder of her choice or lack thereof. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow each walked onward in awkward silence and glanced at each other uncertainly, clearly unsure of how they were supposed to react to their situation. Applejack was the only pony that seemed to be fully aware of the situation and wore the proper respectful solemn expression.

Our route led us out of Canterlot Castle's front gate and around to the side of the castle. After a relatively short walk I found myself standing in front the gates to a small but incredibly ornate graveyard. The whole area was hidden behind the castle's bulk so you wouldn't be able to find it unless you were actively looking for it. Even though it was hidden away, the view of the castle grounds and of the rolling hills in the distance was simply amazing. If I could choose my final resting place, I couldn't do much better than the cemetery behind Canterlot Castle.

As we stepped through the front gates, I saw that we weren't the only ones there to pay respects. There were at least three other groups within easy view past the front arches. The majority of the ponies in these groups appeared to be nobles of one standing or another. The stallions all wore fancy tuxes and the mares all wore black dresses. A few even wore some of those dark veils that hid their faces, though in many cases their muzzles poked out from underneath the veils, ruining the effect somewhat.

We ignored the other groups of mourners, with more than a few sympathized glances in their direction, and pushed towards one of the plots further to the back. I knew we were in the right spot the second we reached it, mostly because Celestia herself stood over two freshly dug graves each with a closed casket hovering over them. The two caskets and gravestones were some of the most ornate I had ever seen, the stone was pure white marble with golden filigree and the caskets were polished mahogany. Celestia had definitely followed through with her promise for a royal burial. At a closer inspection, I found my two missing friends.

Michael stood in-between the two caskets and was whispering some silent prayer while making crossing movements with a foreleg. Twilight stood slightly in front of the graves and looked as though she were made of marble. Twilight stood perfectly still as she watched Michael pray, her stone-faced stare betrayed none of the emotions behind her eyes. It appeared as though the only ponies invited were my team, Michael and I.

The rest of Twilight's friends moved forward towards her and began offering whispered condolences as soon as they got close enough to do so. To which her only response was a slight flickering of her ears. I moved past them to get at Michael.

"Michael, hey Michael," I whispered as I drew closer.

Michael wrapped up some final prayer before turning back to face me. "Hello Harry. I must admit, I've rarely seen better resting places than these." He gestured at the plot of land around the two caskets. I figured that it would be better all involved that the caskets would be closed. Vampire claws don't leave their victims looking at all decent.

I waved a hoof dismissively, "Yeah yeah, it's nice. But how long has Twilight been here? She's been missing all day."

Michael looked over my back at Twilight with a serene expression that was one part sympathy and two or three parts of something close to approval. "She's been here for at least an hour. I arrived early this morning to prepare the spaces and sanctify them as best I could. Twilight arrived a while ago and hasn't said a word." Michael looked intently at me and actually smiled a bit, "She's been thinking very hard Harry, and I can't really say I disapprove."

I blinked uncomprehendingly at Michael, "What are you-"

Michael cut me off with a wave of his own hoof, "Never mind that for now. We need to move away for Celestia."

Michael swept a hoof to gesture me away from the graves and back over at the mares. I ignored Michael's odd words with a shake of my head and took my place among the rest of Twilight's friends. As I neared them Rarity and Fluttershy shifted to give me room. I nodded my thanks and took my place at Twilight's right side.

As soon as we cleared away Celestia took a few steps forward until she was positioned between the two coffins. Celestia lowered her head so that it was level with the caskets. Her ethereal mane fanned out to obscure both her own head and the coffins on either side. I could hear a few words echoing from under that mane and felt a subtle stirring of power.

I craned my head over to whisper into Rarity's ear, "What's Celestia doing?"

"It's the Princess's final words," Rarity whispered back. "It's a tradition Princess Celestia started long ago to honor those that have done some great service. Only the Princesses are permitted to even know what they say. It is an enormous honor."

At that point Celestia evidently finished whatever it was that she was doing and drew away from the coffins. Maybe it was just my imagination but the caskets seemed to be glowing slightly, or that could have just been because of simply being in close proximity to the Princess of the Sun. "May you find peace with our father," Celestia said aloud as the caskets lowered into ground.

The distinctive power I'd felt her collecting dissipated into the air around us. As Celestia's magic faded, I felt a sudden weight against my left side. Twilight's face remained as stoic as ever even as she leaned against me for support. I smiled at her and reflexively used my left foreleg to draw her a little closer and patted her on the back. I heard her sniffle a little as I did so.

A pile of earth near the grave site became enveloped by Celestia's magic and followed the caskets down into the ground. In short order the ground over the graves became perfectly level and even began to grow a decent amount of grass.

Her job done, Celestia strode over to us. As soon as she was close enough she leaned her head down and nuzzled her student affectionately, her mane washed over me as she did so. "I am so very sorry for your loss, Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight offered no response apart from continuing to lean against me. Celestia took this as a desire to be left alone, and acted as such. In a flash of brilliantly white light, that left several spots in my vision, Celestia teleported from the graveyard.

As soon as my sight returned to normal I gave Twilight another calming pat and spoke to her in what I hoped was a hopeful tone, "Don't worry Twilight, everything will turn out okay. I know we'll get the things that did this." A sudden brainwave hit me and I went with it. "Why I'll bet that long after we're done here and Michael and I go home, you'll be back to hanging with your friends and will get back to doing what you love."

That had been the wrong thing to say. The instant the words left my mouth Twilight stiffened against me and her stony mask finally broke. Her face became an expression of intense pain and despair, at least momentarily. One second after her mask broke she became enveloped by flash of purple energy and she too teleported away. With the sudden lack of support, I stumbled forward a step before I could catch myself. I turned around to see Michael and five distraught mares looking at with varying levels of worry.

"What'd I do wrong?" I asked the group at large.

The mares began whispering amongst each other again. Fluttershy mumbled something about having several patients waiting for her and departed back towards the castle. The rest offered their respective excuses and quickly followed Fluttershy back up to the castle.

I looked hopelessly over at Michael, who was the only one remaining, "What'd I do wrong?"

Michael offered me a sympathetic smile and patted me on my shoulder, "Maybe it's time for you to get back to work Harry." He turned and made for the castle as well, "Now I think I should go help Fluttershy in the medical wing. They're still very understaffed unfortunately."

Now by myself and extremely confused, I turned to follow after Michael and towards my bedroom, "What'd I do wrong?"

* * *

For several hours I sat alone in my darkened room with yet another box of random information for me to peruse, a pastime that I was very quickly becoming sick of. A half eaten dinner tray sat on my desk, I didn't feel terribly hungry. The only light in my room came from a small candle that sat on my desk and the dim light that seeped from under my door. I was only half paying attention to the pages I was sifting through. My thoughts just didn't want to focus on the matter at hoof, and instead continued dwelling On Twilight's reaction at her parents' funeral. I felt a phantom sensation along my left side where Twilight had leaned against me. I rubbed a hoof against my fur to try and get the soft feeling to leave, but just couldn't coax away.

A soft knocking sounded against my door just before it opened slightly. Twilight poked her head around the door and looked at me with nervous eyes. "Harry, are you busy?"

My side began tingling again and I tried to push it to the back of my mind. I picked up a book from the box in my magic to give myself something to look at other than the mare at my door. "No more than usual. Please, come in."

I heard her hoofsteps as she entered the room and closed the door behind her. She took a deep breath and seemed to be steeling herself for something as she took a few steps closer to me. "Harry, p-please don't leave."

Her words didn't really register as I continued looking at the book floating in front of my face. "Hm, what was that?"

I felt a sudden disturbance against my fur as something had gotten close enough to shift the air pressure around me. I lowered the book and turned my head to face whatever the invading presence was. Once I turned to face the rest of the room I saw that Twilight had moved extremely close to me. She stood maybe an inch or two away from me, well within my personal space.

My heart immediately went from at rest to my extreme anxiety pace. On some level I knew exactly why she was this close, but the logic driven portions of my brain were still catching up. As a result my only response to this extreme closeness was to sit perfectly still and watch for Twilight's next move, and she did not leave me waiting. Sensing my hesitation, Twilight pushed forward the last few inches and kissed me.

The sensation was nearly indescribable. The fur around her mouth made for the softest kiss I had ever enjoyed, and the warmth emanating from her was more comforting than I thought possible. She made no attempt to take the kiss further than simple lip contact. Her mouth did not part for tongue access and she didn't press forward for a more intimate embrace, her only desire was to have the base contact that we were engaged in. The small twitches of her finer muscles said much more however.

The lines on her face weren't those of one enjoying a close moment with another, but were much sadder. At this close range I could see that the fur around her eyes was damp; she had been crying, and recently. She was very stressed and nervous, that much was clear. Though all the tiny twitches I could see running through the muscles under her fur across her body made it abundantly clear that despite all of her fear and anxiety she was very excited, perhaps even desperate for this attention.

As for my own emotions, that familiar voice in the back of my head began doing back flips and kicked the rest of my brain into submission. For one second, one glorious second, my brain shut off and I felt nothing but joy at the intimate contact that had been denied me for so long. I returned the kiss, for one whole second I closed my eyes and leaned against her lips, reveling in the simple closeness. I was reminded of why the affection of another was prized above almost everything else.

But then my thoughts returned as my mind caught up with the rest of me. My eyes snapped open again and I backed away from Twilight. She leaned forward a little as I backed away until our distance forced our muzzles apart. I backed away from Twilight about a foot until I felt my flank bump against the side of my bed. I just sat there and stared at the mare, my mind reeling at what had just happened, and at how good it had felt. My heart was nearly beating its way out of my chest as my breath tried to match its pace. Several of Twilight's reactions suddenly made much more sense and seemed blatantly obvious in hindsight. I don't have many mental blind spots, but when I do, they're a mile wide.

Twilight backed away a step and seemed to try to shrink into the floor, much like Fluttershy. She hid her face in her hooves and began shaking a little, "I-I'm sorry. It's just that since day one, you've made it clear that you're only visiting. That once the Red Court is gone, you'll leave too." She looked up from her hooves and locked her saddened eyes with mine. "But I don't want you to leave. I feel better when you're around. When I'm near you, I'm not afraid." She offered a weak smile, "When I'm near you, I feel… safe." Her smile wilted and desperation crept into her voice, "When the Red King was choking you and I thought I was going to watch you die, I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest." She locked her eyes with mine, the desperation rising in her voice, "You don't have to leave, remember that Luna said you could stay. Please, please don't leave me."

My thoughts very quickly devolved into a confused mess of conflicting emotions and desires. That little voice in the back of my head practically began screaming at me to take her offer at face value, but I reined it in and reminded myself of my duties. I was still a warden of the White Council.

"Twilight, I-I can't," I stammered and began shaking my head. "I can't give you what you want. I am a warden. Once I'm done here I need to be able to leave; and if I started something with you, I'm not sure if I could."

"But why?" she yelled and hopped back to her hooves, taking a much more aggressive stance even while a slow trickle of tears began to fall from her eyes. "You said it yourself, the White Council are a bunch of corrupt backstabbing jerks!" She took a step forward. "Your life there is nothing but constant fighting, pain, and heartache. You put your life on the line for an organization that wouldn't lose a minute of sleep if you died protecting their hides. Why would you ever want to fight for them?"

I swallowed and tried to ignore the echoing of her words in my head. I had asked myself every one of those same questions at some point on my life, and my answer was almost always the same: self-preservation. I had done the vast majority of the jobs and fighting that I'd done in Chicago because I'd have been skinned if I didn't, especially whenever the White Council was involved. But in this instance, self-preservation wasn't a viable excuse. The White Council had no influence in Equestria, they had no way to force me to play along. Outside of honor bound duty to a bunch of 'corrupt backstabbing jerks', there was just nothing forcing me to go back to the White Council.

_Also I kind of doubt the White Council would risk angering two immortals just to get at me. That's if they even think I'm still alive. Considering how long I've been gone, they probably think I'm dead._

That thought weighed heavily in my mind. I mentally pictured the few friends I'd made in the course of my career. How they might've been worrying about me the entire time I was helping in Equestria. It hurt that they might've thought me dead. All of my closest friends on Earth had stood by my side in one or more fights, and I had protected them with a single-minded intensity. That's not to say that they're weak and needed the protection, far from it. More often than not they'd wind up saving my hide as much as I did theirs. But they were still my friends, and I wanted to protect them.

I shook my head and tried very hard to make my voice sound as resolute as possible, because my feelings sure weren't, "It's not just for the White Council. I have friends there, they need my help."

"You have friends here," Twilight countered. "We need your help." She took another step forward, getting back into my personal space but not quite as close as before. "There's also you, Harry. I saw many things in our soulgaze, most of it took me a while to understand. I know you use your emotions as a weapon against your enemies and that you relentlessly protect those around you, but I also know… that you're alone." She looked me full in the eyes and her gaze didn't waver a bit. "You fight for those you care about, but always return to a cold empty home. You aren't meant to live like that."

That had thrown me off balance a bit. It was true that after a hard day's work of protecting the city of Chicago from a bunch of threats few even believed in, all I had to come home to was the promise of safety behind the magical defenses of my home. My laughable attempts at a love life swam to the forefront of my mind. The worst of which was Susan, who wasn't even technically human anymore because of her proximity to me. I quickly threw around for something, any argument I could use to make Twilight see that this was a mistake.

"Twilight no, It's because of me that the Red Court is even here," I pleaded. "I've played a part in all of this pain."

"I don't care," Twilight whispered and drew a little closer. One of her hooves found its way onto my shoulder. "I don't care what you've done. I just want you to stay, with me."

My mind nearly exploded as I searched desperately for some legitimate reason to deny her. She had shot down all of my usual methods of escape. My only option left was to bluntly refuse her and hope against hope that she'd take it well.

I raised a hoof to rest against her chest and began pushing slightly, but my foreleg didn't want to move. Beyond the simple effort to raise it, the muscles of my forelegs refused the order to push Twilight away. I opened my mouth to give voice to my refusal, but my vocal cords went silent. In the absence of physical movement, my brain finally pumped out the question I had been afraid to ask myself.

_What if I said yes?_

Unbidden images ran through my head as my mind went into overdrive. A phantom image of us after the defeat of the vampires floated to the top. Twilight and I stood proud over a gathered crowd of citizens and guardsponies, while Celestia herself moved to thank us. That image was replaced with the inside of Sugarcube Corner. Twilight's friends, I, and even Silent Night sat around one of the larger tables the eatery offered and enjoyed some celebration Pinkie had cooked up. Silent even passed me those hay fries he still owed me. Lastly I thought of the place I might call home, Twilight's library. I saw the literal tree house and its vibrant foliage maybe even with a little white fence out front, and wondered what it would be like to actually live there.

_I could do it,_ I thought to myself. _I could stay here. Haven't I fought enough, been through enough? I could stay here, and be with Twilight. I could be happy. That's a good enough reason, isn't it?_

In short, no it wasn't, at least not by itself. I had always put my duty before my personal desires. If it came to it, I would sacrifice my own happiness or peace of mind if it meant the continued existence of those I cared about. I had done so before after all. Which was why Twilight's last few words changed things.

If was just a matter of my own desires against my duties, then it wouldn't be much of a contest. I could force myself to leave, I wouldn't like it but I'd do it. Twilight's words had added the necessary weight to unbalance the whole thing. She had given me a reason to stay for something other than my own wants. She truly didn't care about the dangers of being near me. She desperately wanted me to stay, and stay with her.

Too many conflicting thoughts entered my mind and my head became a battlefield, raging on at the speed of thought. Could I abandon my previous life for the promise of a better one? Could I let go of my several personal grievances with the numerous monsters that roamed the Earth? Could I abandon my friends on Earth and still live with myself? Could I crush Twilight in her time of need and still live with myself? All of these questions coursed through me and the pain of simple indecision was enough to make me grind my teeth down to the nubs.

As suddenly as the war started, it was silenced. The questions and emotions driving my internal conflict were still there and were still conflicting with each other, but they were muted slightly as a third force sounded in my mind. It was not the voice reminding me of my duties to the White Council and to my friends on Earth. It was not pointing out the happiness and high survivability a life in Equestria offered. It was my base nature, the base system from which I derived my values and how I defined who I was. It simply pointed out several of the more important facts, and did so loud enough so that it drowned out all other thoughts and made it impossible to ignore.

Fact one: Twilight's world was becoming darker by the day. She was now reaching out to try to fill the hole that had been left in her life and it would take something more than mere friendship to fix. Fact two: Twilight's parents died as a byproduct of my ignorance, and unlike Susan, I could still make things better for Twilight. Fact three: I would make things better for her. I wanted to see her smile again. I wanted to stay, I really wanted to stay.

"I... I'm not…" I mumbled as the last of those thoughts clicked into place.

I felt it when my resolve wavered and fell. I lunged forward and wrapped my forelegs around Twilight as I hugged her as deeply as I could. The hug dragged her the remaining distance towards me and her chest bumped against mine, and then it was my turn to take her breath. My eyes closed as I brought my muzzle to hers. Caught off guard by the sudden movement, Twilight paused for half a second before she returned the embrace. One of her forelegs wrapped tightly around my back while the other was placed at the back of my neck as she returned my kiss, pulling me closer for a more intimate embrace. I felt her let out a relieved sigh through her nose and could practically hear her smile on the exhale, which made me smile in return.

_I've had enough of this. Michael tells me to follow my heart? Fine. Dad tells me to protect those close to me? Done. The White Council wants me out of the picture? Wish granted. Earth is not my responsibility. I've found a pony that I want to be with and wants me in return, and I'm not about to just let that go._

After several seconds I broke the kiss to instead nuzzle just under Twilight's left ear and held her a little tighter, "I'm not going anywhere, Twilight."

Twilight drew away from the embrace without actually breaking contact. She had begun crying again, but she didn't look the least bit sad, she was ecstatic. Her smile spanned across the entirety of her face and every muscle in her body relaxed as though a heavy burden was just lifted from her. She was the happiest I had seen her during my short time in Equestria.

"Thank you." She leaned forward and rested her head against my own, our horns crossing as she did so. "Thank you so much, Harry."

I smiled at her and stood up from seat on the floor. I turned around and hopped onto my much more comfortable bed, followed closely by Twilight. Twilight and I lay down and simply enjoyed each other's silent companionship. I lay on my bed facing the door and with my hooves tucked neatly against my body. Twilight stepped over me to curl up against my back. Her hooves tucked against her own body as I felt her snuggle up against me. She rested her head on my neck as though I were a pillow and shifted slightly to get more comfortable. Through our contact I could feel her chest vibrate as she hummed contentedly.

Even though it was still relatively early in the night, I suddenly felt fairly tired. The papers I'd been searching through lay forgotten next to my bed. With one eye open I silently watched Twilight fall asleep on me after a long and troubling day. For the first time in a long time I felt genuinely happy. At that moment I didn't have a single care in the world. I lay my head back down on my pillow and felt myself swiftly drift off to sleep with a smile on my pony muzzle.


	18. Chapter 18

**Flesh Masks Ch. 18**

I stretched slightly under the toasty afternoon sun. The soft grass in front of Twilight's library, my new home, tickled my belly as I shifted in my cozy little resting place. Purple hooves played over my black ones as Twilight rested across my side. One of the novels I saw in the library, wreathed in my red energy, floated in front our faces. Our heads were nearly even with each other as we read. Well more accurately, she read; I merely relaxed under her weight. As she read her book, my gaze drifted over to Ponyville just down the road and all the content ponies going about their day.

I felt amazing. I was resting and spending time with the mare that had made my life start to make sense again. I felt like something had been missing for so long that the part-life became the norm, but then Twilight filled that space and I was made whole again.

"Twilight, am I making this potion right?" Spike cried from the library's window.

I turned the page as Twilight tapped my hoof. "Ugh, Spike you have horrible timing," Twilight called back. "Daring Do just found the crystal skull!"

"Twilight please, I think I missed a step," Spike countered. The little dragon's face appeared in the nearby window and he sighed as he saw us. "Come on Twilight, you can lie around on Dresden whenever. I need your help now!"

I chuckled slightly at his implication. Twilight started grumbling and hefted herself off me, "Can't I get just one day to relax? Is that too much to ask?"

"Apparently," I called after her.

She whipped her tail at me in frustration and disappeared into the library. I smiled and lay my head back down on the grass, getting comfortable as I waited for her return.

I lay there for several seconds before something caught my attention, or lack of something in this case. The nearby town of Ponyville had been bustling with ponies and was alive with the noise of those same ponies just a moment ago, but for whatever reason that noise grew silent to the point of mute. I sat up and craned my head to look at the town, and it was completely devoid of all ponies. Not one minute ago there was a town's worth of ponies moving around, but now the buildings stood vacant of all life. There was no whispering of wind or rustling of leaves; the silence was so absolute that for a moment I thought I had gone deaf.

An irrational, bone-deep fear of being utterly alone again bit into me. My ears twitched and swiveled from side to side as something finally pierced the silence. Whispering, faint whispering from what felt like hundreds of voices just far enough away that I couldn't make out what was being said. I strained my ears to try and make out what the whispers, I didn't need to. The whispers grew in volume and soon enough I could hear them clearly.

"_Dresden. Dresden. Where were you, Dresden?"_

The whispers were coming from every direction at once, but the most of them seemed to be originating from the library. I got to my hooves and began walking hesitantly towards the door, "Twilight, if this is some sort of game I'm not amused."

"_What are the consequences Dresden?"_

As I drew nearer to the door the whispers grew more frantic and I grew more desperate to find Twilight. By the time I hit the door I was going at a full gallop and I nearly ripped it from it's hinges when I hit it. As I charged into the central room of the library I yelled at the top of my voice, "Twilight!" No answer called back to me, neither Twilight nor Spike was anywhere to be seen.

The second I entered the library the voices abruptly stopped and my eyes were drawn to the center of the room. Lying on the center of the floor was a body. It honestly took me a few seconds to recognize it as a human body. It took me several more seconds to recognize it as my human body. He wore the same outfit I'd always worn, loose fitting but comfortable shirt and pants, and my favorite spell layered leather duster. He lay splayed out on his back with his closed eyes facing the ceiling.

I drew near the doppelganger, my mind reeling at the bizarreness of the situation. As I got close enough and stood over my apparently dead human self, a single deafening voice came out of nowhere and thundered across my ears.

"_WHERE WERE YOU?"_

The doppelganger's eyes snapped open and at the same time his hand shot out to fasten into an iron hard grip around my throat.

"Ack!" I shouted as I sat up out of my bed, my covers flying every which way. After a second or two of frenzied breathing I realized that I was surrounded by grey stone instead of wood. I was back in Canterlot Castle. I ran a hoof along my neck over the phantom grip, while using my other hoof to massage my aching temple. As I eased away the dull pain, a much gentler hoof reached around my shoulder and eased me back down.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Twilight whispered into my ear. "Are you okay?"

I smiled as I sank back down into my bed and remembered who I was sharing it with. "I'm fine Twilight," I answered back. "I just had an... interesting dream."

Twilight placed her head next to mine, "Well it's not how I usually prefer to wake up, but I'm open-minded."

I chuckled and used a foreleg to draw her closer. "It won't be a recurring issue," I assured her.

"So…" Twilight stretched the word out slightly as her forelegs snaked around me. "You're really going to stay?"

"Well, my stuff is already here." I gestured around the room at the random belongings I'd accumulated. "I think I can hang around for a while, and there is this cute girl I think I have a shot with." That earned me a sharp jab against my ribs with one of her forelegs. "Though I suppose I'll be needing a place to stay after I'm done in Canterlot." I flashed Twilight a quick grin, "You think Applejack would rent out her barn?"

"Now why would you want to sleep in a stuffy barn? There's plenty of room at my library," Twilight countered and nuzzled against me. "And Spike can take the guest room downstairs."

I smiled widely at that, "There's a thought. Living in a library, fitting for a wizard I suppose." I shifted around and wormed my way off my bed, to Twilight's slight displeasure, and heard the sound of several crunching papers as my hooves touched the ground. I raised a foreleg at the sound and saw a piece of paper came away with it. "Aww, come on."

Twilight twisted around in the bed to try and see what I was looking at, the covers on my bed twisted around her limbs as she moved. By the time she managed to angle her face so she could see anything, the covers had wrapped completely around her like a cloth cocoon with only her head still exposed to the air. "What is… oh."

The large box of papers I had been going through the previous night now lay upturned on its side, the many pieces of history inside spilled over my floor. The pieces I had already gone through mixing with those I hadn't. I could only assume that it had been knocked over during the confusion of the previous night.

"I'm going to have to go over all of this again aren't I?" I groaned. My trying to remember what exactly I had and hadn't already gone through was interrupted by a loud growling sound that had pervaded the room. After a moment of consideration I noted that it was my stomach, still angry at me for only eating about half of a meal the previous night. The remains of said meal still sat on my desk and did not look the least bit appetizing. I waved a hoof at the pile of work, giving it up as a bad use of my time, "It can wait for now, I think I need a decent meal."

"Yeah, it'd be nice to actually see something other than this room," Twilight agreed. "Just let me… Hang on…" Twilight began struggling against the covers that held her prisoner, and I have to admit, it was one of the cuter and funnier things I'd ever seen. I simply stood a few feet from my bed, doing all I could to keep from laughing my head off as she fought against an aggressive piece of fabric. After a few seconds of struggling Twilight got fed up with the whole thing and cried, "Oh, for the love of…" An instant later she teleport out from the covers and over to stand next to me in a bright flash of purple light.

I held open the door to my room for her even as I was snickering like an idiot. She went through the door and as she passed by me her tail whipped around to smack me in my face. That stopped me laughing, but I still followed after her with dumb grin spread across my muzzle.

As we passed by one of the windows in the barrack's walls we saw that Celestia's sun was only just rising over the distant hills and started shining light over the city below. It was still fairly early in the day, and as such there were very few soldiers and guardsponies roaming the halls of Canterlot's barracks. We only encountered a handful of other ponies that had presumably gotten up for early shifts. Twilight and I made a beeline for the mess hall on the first level of the barracks. It wasn't really different food than we've been eating lately, but it was a desperately needed change of scenery. I do treasure my established routine, but I can only stand being in one room so long before I start feeling like a willing prisoner.

As we turned down the main hallway and neared the mess hall, a certain thought entered my head. At this early in the day most ponies' first instinct would be to go and get breakfast like we were, and thus the mess hall would be the most likely place to run into my friends; friends that would be sure to have several awkward questions to ask when they found out about us.

I stuck out a hoof to stop Twilight in her tracks, "Hold up a second."

Twilight slid a little on the tiled floor and bumped into my foreleg. "What is it?"

I looked at her out of the corner of my eye, "I'm assuming none of the others know about what we said last night, correct?"

"I was a little too preoccupied to talk to anypony other than you last night," Twilight responded and offered a small smile.

I nodded a little in response, "Twilight if it's all the same to you, I'd prefer to keep it that way."

She cocked her head at me in complete bewilderment, "You, don't want to tell the others?"

"At the moment my future plans make no difference to them, because I physically can't leave Equestria," I explained. "I'd prefer to avoid awkward questions until they become necessary."

Twilight frowned at me in deep thought for a few seconds before she responded, "They'd want to know, Harry."

"I'll tell them… eventually."

She sighed and shook her head, "Fine, I won't say anything for now. If it comes up though, I won't deny it." She rubbed a hoof against her temple, "I hate keeping secrets though. The last time I tried it I wound up shoving my face in a potted plant to keep myself from talking."

That got me chuckling again. "That's all I can ask of you." We resumed our walk to the mess hall. "So what's this story that ends with your face in a potted plant?"

Her only response was to groan and shake her head again. I tried and failed to stifle my laughter. We finally reached and pushed through the doors to the mess hall. The room had a very simple layout. There were several long tables and benches that spanned the length of the room, and along one wall was a long buffet table bearing a wide variety of foods. It looked almost exactly like my high school lunchroom.

I had been right in assuming that my friends would likely be there eating. Michael, Applejack, and Fluttershy were all sitting and eating at one of the central tables. Pinkie was at the buffet line, dishing out food for the couple of guardsponies that were present.

As we walked in, Michael turned around to see who had entered. As soon as he saw us a huge smile spread across his face, shortly before he burst out into the kind of rolling laughter you'd expect from Father Christmas. He got up from his seat and walked over to us, laughing the entire way.

When he came within easy reach of us he clapped a hoof on my shoulder, "You actually said yes. Good for you two!" He craned his head around to face the buffet table. "Hey Pinkie, break out some cider!"

I could only stand there gawking as my brilliant plan to not tell them anything, seemed to be collapsing around me. "Wha… How?" I shook my head for a moment to clear my thoughts. "Okay how? There's no way you could know."

Michael's head spun back around to face me, "I told you I saw her lost to her thoughts yesterday." He gestured at Twilight who was decidedly not saying anything, but couldn't quite hide her smile. "I've seen that look before. I figured it was only a matter of time before she reached out to you. That and the fact that she's standing two inches from you suggest that she has already done so." He leaned his head to look behind me, "Also your tail has brushed against her at least three times by now."

"Wait, what?" I turned my head around to look behind me, and sure enough my long black tail was swishing slightly back and forth. Every so often it would swing hard enough to close the distance between Twilight and I and danced along her right flank, despite my not giving it permission to do so.

_Traitor!_ I thought at the appendage. It ignored my venomous thoughts and continued swishing away.

I turned back to face Michael and tried to put on my best poker face. "Circumstantial," I said stubbornly.

Michael leaned forward a bit and grinned at me, "Okay, how about this: We're talking about you and Twilight, and you're smiling."

I bit my lower lip and made a conscious effort to wipe away the smile that had creeped up on me as I tried to think of a counter to this. "Well damn, he's right." I glanced at Twilight and smiled a little wider, "I guess you won't have to keep it a secret after all."

"Good, because honestly I don't think I could've hidden it for very long," Twilight offered. "Rarity usually has an ear for this sort of thing."

Michael looked over at Twilight and actually gave her a curt little bow. "I have to thank you Ms. Sparkle. It is very distressing to have to watch my friend suffer by himself for so long, and have him be too stubborn to accept any help." He cast me a sidelong glance at those last few words.

Twilight chuckled and leaned against me, "Well he didn't make it easy, but I managed to get him to come out of his shell a bit."

"Guys, I'm right here. You two see me right?" I said, looking between the two of them. I settled on raising an inquisitive eyebrow at Michael, "And you're taking this a bit better than I thought you would."

Michael gave me a genuine look of confusion in return. "Why would you think otherwise? I've always supported the growth of relationships, no matter where they start." Another smile spread over his face and his head turned back around to face the mess hall, "Which reminds me. Pinkie, where's that cider?"

My eyes widened in fear after I processed those words. If Pinkie's personality was anything to judge by, then her reaction to this information would be nothing less than extremely frantic. "Oh Michael no, please don't-"

I was interrupted by a loud _thud_as Pinkie slammed a large keg of cider on a nearby table. "Here you go, Michael. What's this for anyway? Are we celebrating something?" Pinkie asked in her usual high-pitched tone while she tilted her head questioningly at Michael.

In answer Michael just pointed a hoof at Twilight and I, the former of which was still leaning against my side. It took Pinkie a couple of seconds before Michael's meaning sunk in. As soon as it hit her, she jumped five feet in the air and just hovered there for about three seconds; something that I'm still trying to wrap my head around. Aside from casually spitting in the face of every physicist ever, Pinkie's face became the very image of surprise. Her eyes widened to cover most of her face and her jaw dropped as she did probably the loudest gasp I'd ever heard. After she was done inhaling what I estimated to be about three times more air than her lungs should've been able to hold, she disappeared in a puff of smoke as she zipped off to the others.

I groaned as I watched her bounce around her friends' table, speaking in an ultra fast tone that was impossible to understand. Any hopes I had to stay under the radar were dashed the second Pinkie got involved. I suppose I should've expected that, but it was still all sorts of uncomfortable to draw such unwanted attention.

Pinkie darted back to Michael's side positively beaming and hopping excitedly in place. The colors of her mane and coat turned such a brilliant shade of pink that I probably could've used her as a night light if I wanted to. Applejack and Fluttershy walked up next to her and expressed varying levels of confusion as they did so.

"Now Pinkie, what are you getting on about?" Applejack asked. "You were talkin' so fast I only caught every couple of words."

"Twilight and Dresden! Twilight and Dresden!" she screamed, as though that explained everything. "I thought I felt my muzzle get tingly last night, but I wasn't sure. Oooh, this is so exciting!"

Applejack refocused her slightly bleary eyes and looked between the overly hyper Pinkie and Twilight for a moment. "Wait a moment, you two…" She lifted a hoof to point between Twilight and I. After a brief second it dawned on her much as it had for Pinkie, and she let out a rolling laugh to rival Michael's. "Well ain't that something? Good for the two of ya!" She turned back around to continue her breakfast, but stopped en route to speak with the yellow pegasus, "Hey Fluttershy, remind me to tell Rainbow that she owes me ten bits."

"It's nice to know that my friends are gambling on my love life," said Twilight with a hint of annoyance. She pushed past me to follow Applejack back to the table that still held their forgotten meals. Michael, Fluttershy, and I exchanged confused glances before we followed suit. Pinkie bounced along behind us.

"Shoot, we didn't mean anything by it Twi," said Applejack as she sat back down at the table.

Michael and Fluttershy returned to their seats as well. Twilight found a seat opposite from Applejack, and continued shooting her chastising looks. I sat next to Twilight and tried my very best to blend into the background; the last time I saw her less than happy with her friends, I wound up covered in soot. Almost immediately after I sat down, two trays of food and several mugs of cider appeared before us at about the same time a pink blur flashed around the table. After delivering our meals Pinkie stopped immediately behind Twilight and I and continued bouncing excitedly, her coat was still an extremely vibrant pink.

Applejack chuckled at this and continued to try to placate Twilight, "After Manehattan, Rainbow and I were a bit shaken up and just needed something to laugh about." Applejack shrugged a bit, "I remembered how you chased after Dresden in that alley, even after he told you to stay with Fluttershy. That just gave me the idea and gave us a much needed reason to laugh. I didn't actually think anything would come of it." Applejack smiled and looked between Twilight and myself, "Don't get me wrong though, it warms my heart to see you smile again Twi. In the middle of all this business with monsters and dark magic, anything that makes my friends happy is fine by me."

Twilight seemed satisfied and nodded her thanks, "It's alright, AJ. You don't need to apologize for anything." A devious little smile played over Twilight's lips, "Though I might need to have a little chat with Rainbow about her betting against us."

I levitated my mug to my nose and sniffed at the cider as I looked around the table. "Where is Rainbow anyway? And for that matter, where is Rarity?"

Applejack let out a short bark of laughter before settling into a continuous stream of chuckles, "Rainbow's just bein' Rainbow. Nothing short of a rampaging manticore could get her up this early in the day."

"Rarity is still asleep as well," Fluttershy added suddenly. As one, the rest of us turned to look at the previously silent pegasus. Fluttershy shrunk away a little under our combined gazes, but seemed to regain her strength after a second. She sat back up in her seat as she smiled warmly at Twilight and I. "First, I just wanted to say I'm so happy for you two." She turned slightly to address the table as a whole, "I ran into Rarity late last night in the medical wing. She said she was running errands for Luna and would be for most of the night. I think she and Luna are organizing some kind of event."

"Well Luna's in charge of public relations, so it's probably something to keep the citizens of Canterlot calm," Twilight offered. "And if Rarity's involved you can be certain that whatever it is is going to be fancy." Twilight sniffed at her own mug and adopted a slightly nervous expression, "Hey Pinkie, this isn't Big Mac's is-"

"Don't worry, that's normal Apple family cider," Pinkie cut her off before she could finish. Pinkie's bouncing became even more frantic as she forced her way into the middle of our conversation, "But that's enough chatting; now it's time to celebrate!" She finally paused in her constant jumping to put a hoof to her chin in thought, "We'll need cupcakes, and lots of balloons. I'm thinking purple and grey balloons to go with Twilight's and Harry's coats."

"Don't forget games," Michael added, a definite chuckle hidden behind his voice. "I know Dresden likes group games, like cards or board games."

"Michael, please don't encourage her," I moaned.

My words evidently fell on deaf ears. Pinkie's excitement only increased further at this news and her pace quickened as ideas ran through her head. "Oh, why didn't you say so? I have card games of course; I also have a bunch of group board games. There are just so many to choose from, I'll have to get you to look at them later."

I groaned in defeat and began repeatedly slamming my face into the table in front of me. I only stopped when I noticed that the horn on my head was dipping into the tray of breakfast foods Pinkie had brought me. I straightened myself back into a proper sitting position, only to find a piece of toast had been speared on the end of my horn. Twilight began laughing softly as the toast tore and fell to land on my muzzle.

I brushed it off with a hoof before I turned to whisper to Twilight, "Now you know why I didn't want to say anything." Twilight rolled her eyes at me as I looked back at the excitable pink mare. "Pinkie, I appreciate the thought, but please don't. I really wanted to keep this as quiet as possible."

Pinkie looked back at me with large hurt eyes, "But Harry, that's not right. This is a big deal and needs to be celebrated." She pouted at me and gave me the saddest puppy dog eyes my heart had ever endured.

I opened my mouth to respond and prepared myself to swallow the guilt that would come with denying her. Before I could say anything however, Twilight jabbed a hoof into my ribs to get my attention.

"Just let her throw the party, Harry," Twilight whispered into my ear. "It'll keep her happy, and she'll probably just keep pestering you until you give in."

"You can't be serious," I whispered back.

Twilight shot me a stern look and gestured a hoof at Pinkie.

_Well this relationship is off to a flying start._

I gnashed my teeth together as I faced Pinkie again. "Fine, against my better judgment-" Twilight jabbed at my ribs again, "-I accept your offer."

Pinkie beamed and began bouncing on the spot again. Michael let out another booming laugh and shot Twilight an approving glance, "Well, this will be a joyous occasion."

I quirked an eyebrow at Michael as I noticed that something seemed a little off about him. As far as I could tell he only felt joy and pride for me, and expressed no noticeable negative emotions whatsoever. "Not that I don't love my private life being made public, but what about you?"

Michael looked back at me, confusion apparent on his face, "What do you mean?"

"I mean what about your family?" I responded. "We've been gone for, what, almost three weeks now? I kind of figured that you'd be going crazy worrying over them."

Michael relaxed back into his seat and offered me a warm smile, "Of course I worry about them Dresden. But I do not let my fears consume me, because I know that they are safe."

I smirked at Michael. "Let me guess, because you have faith?" I said, putting extra emphasis on the final word.

Michael shrugged his shoulders and continued smiling at me, "Well there's that, and there's the knowledge that Charity's as good at sword play as I am." That stunned me for a good second or two. Michael just pressed on, ignoring my sudden dumbfounded silence, "Who do you think I traditionally spar with to keep in top form?"

Michael's wife, Charity, was an interesting blend of extremely kind hearted and ruthlessly protective. She's a large woman; she had broad shoulders and had more lean muscle than any other woman I knew, though she didn't really look wholly menacing. On top of her large frame and muscles, she wore the fine layer of soft excess that came with a comfortable living. I could easily picture her softly singing her children to sleep one moment, and pounding in the head of a supernatural predator the next. I knew that she was capable of being a significant threat; I just didn't know that she had the skills to back it up. I made a mental note to not get on her bad side if our paths ever crossed again.

"So let me get this straight," Applejack cut in. "A regular day for you at your home is to go about your job, look after your young'ins, and then you and your wife go at each other with swords?"

Michael paused to think about it for a second. "She generally prefers a hammer, but essentially yes."

I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing. I laughed hard enough that my eyes started watering up. After a few seconds it died down enough that I could choke out some words. "You know, if it were anyone other than you and Charity, I'd recommend a marriage counselor. Although you two would probably wind up teaching the counselor more than the other way around."

"Variety is the key to a happy marriage," Michael said with a smile on his face. "And truth be told, it's not entirely uncommon for my duties to take me away from my home for extended periods of time. Although ever since I've started helping you Harry, my work has gotten much more local and I've had to leave less and less. Take that as you will." He worked a hoof around his mug of cider and raised it to his mouth, "Though I will say this: As far as my longer jobs go, this one is definitely the most interesting."

I shot a quick glance at the mare beside me, and smiled. Twilight was busily eating the breakfast before her, but her eyes twinkled with interest as she watched Michael and drank in every little detail she could about her friend. "Yeah, I'd have to agree with you there."

"Uhm, everypony," Fluttershy whispered.

Again we all turned to face the previously silent pegasus, though she didn't shy away this time. After her last contribution, she had chosen to simply remain quiet and observe our conversation. The mare was so silent that I had almost forgotten she was there at all. Now that she had drawn attention to herself, I could see what looked like a royal messenger trotting away behind her, and an open letter held in her hoof.

"I think I know what Princess Luna and Rarity are putting together." Fluttershy stretched out her hoof to offer us the letter.

Twilight seized the paper in her telekinetic grip and floated it over to read. "Let's just take a little look, shall we?" I watched as her eyes traveled further and further down the page, and saw an amused look spread across her face as she did so. "Oh Harry, this'll be great for us! Luna wants us to help her tonight." Twilight cried and floated the letter over for me to read.

"What's going on now?" I asked as the paper came into view. I paused and took a moment to read the relatively small piece of paper. My eyes trailed down the letter and took in the exact details of what Twilight meant. As I finished reading it, I let out a low groan.

Abandoning all sense of personal space, Pinkie shot between us and pulled Twilight and I into an extremely one-sided group hug. I probably wouldn't have minded it so much, if it weren't for the fact that her hug forced my skull to collide painfully with Twilight's. "What is it? What is it?" Pinkie shouted right before she forced her face forward so that she could read it as well. "Ohhh, this is going to be fun!" she cried after she finished reading the letter. "Forget planning a separate party for you two. We can celebrate at this thing!" she cried and hugged us a little tighter.

Despite my still spinning head, I let out another low defeated groan.


	19. Chapter 19

**Flesh Masks Ch. 19**

"I hate this," I muttered aloud. "I hate everything about this."

"Oh would you just shush," Rarity snapped at me. The piece of dark fabric she was levitating floated over to my chest and folded into the base of a suit jacket.

"Harry, just relax a bit," Twilight chastised me from her plush red cushion she had dragged into Rarity's room. "It's a royal party, you're supposed to smile and act like a gentlecolt."

I was feeling a bit more confrontational than usual and decided to make that fact be known. "Why is this even necessary?" I retorted, knowing full well what the answer would be. "I could be doing so many more productive things right now."

Twilight sighed heavily. "The citizens of Canterlot are terrified Harry, and Princess Luna's doing what she can to keep them calm," she recited with an exasperated tone that suggested she'd repeated herself several times before. "And we are going to help her however we can."

"But why do I have to be there?" I asked stubbornly.

"Well darling, you are the commander of the signature vampire hunting battalion," Rarity offered. "Even if most ponies don't know the exact details behind everything that's going on, having you being seen in a casual setting will put their minds at ease."

"Besides, this is getting you out of that party with Pinkie," Twilight whispered as she got up from her seat and sauntered over to me. "And Princess Celestia has over a hundred other ponies digging through Canterlot's records. They can manage without the two of us for an evening." She finished with a nuzzle underneath my chin.

That managed to crack my sour mood and get me to smile a bit. I was about to speak when Rarity interrupted my train of thought by busily pushing Twilight away and added more cloth to my swiftly growing suit.

"There will be time for that later Twilight," Rarity scolded. "I need to get Dresden's suit ready or we're going to be late!"

I frowned at the intrusion and thought back to how I came to play model for the fashion mare. After our breakfast, and my doomed attempt to keep a secret from several perceptive friends, Twilight and I retired back to my room. We both got comfortable sharing Twilight's large cushion and occasionally thought about doing the research we were supposed to be doing. A couple hours later Rarity had burst through my unlocked door, splintering the wood around the handle in the process. Baggy eyed and practically foaming at the mouth, she screamed something about 'being robbed of the chance to play matchmaker' and then insisted that she be allowed to make a suit and dress set for Twilight and I to wear to Luna's shindig. Considering that she could turn invisible, had a talent for waving around sharp implements, and could force seizure inducing illusions on her victims, I felt it would be rude to deny her.

"I can probably already guess the answer, but how exactly did you find out about us?" I asked the fashionista.

"Pinkie," she answered simply.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, "Yeah that sounds about right."

Rarity looked up from her work to flash me a devilish grin and side stepped a little so that she formed a triangle with Twilight and I as the other two points. "But since you've brought it up, I think the suit can wait a second, I simply have to know." Rarity smiled even wider and glanced between us. "Sooo, have you two…?" She left the question hanging open as she made suggestive gestures between us with a hoof and quirked her eyebrows.

It's probably a testament to how long it's been since I've been that close to anyone, that it honestly took me several confused seconds for her meaning to sink in. Across the room Twilight had practically frozen in place on her cushion and I could see a slight blush creep over her face.

"What are you…? No! We didn't… Why would you think that!?" I stammered, a certain amount of heat creeping over my own face.

Rarity began chuckling under her breath, "Well, over the last few days the two of you have rarely come out of your room, and now I'm hearing that you're together. What am I supposed to think?"

"That we were researching! In case you've forgotten we have several hundred years worth of history to go through." I shot back. Across the room Twilight's face was now a bright crimson. "Hells bells, it hasn't even been a full day yet! And how is that any of your business?"

Rarity clearly loved seeing me fumble around, uncomfortable with where the conversation was going. I dimly had to wonder if she was getting revenge for my rudeness the day we went shopping in Canterlot. If that was the case, then that mare could hold a decent grudge.

Another piece of dark cloth floated over and around my back. "I am a socialite, Dresden. I make it a point to know the goings on about the ponies around me, especially among my friends."

"Fine, but keep on topic please." I cast around for anything to change subject of the conversation. "Hey, you helped organize this thing tonight right? What should we be expecting exactly?"

"Oh, you're no fun." Rarity and her needles quickly went back to work stitching together the different pieces of fabric into intricate patterns. "It's going to be a fairly simple event. To my knowledge anypony in Canterlot can attend so they can try to get information from whoever they can catch."

"I don't think we'll actually be obliged to speak to anypony if we don't want to," Twilight offered, her voice cracking slightly. "But Princess Luna wants us to at least be there."

"So wait a minute." I glanced down at the cloth over my chest, "If it's not a private event, then why are you dressing us up like it's a royal wedding or something?"

Rarity actually stood up straight and looked at me as though I had slapped her. "Mr. Dresden, this may not be the Grand Galloping Gala, but it is still a royal party and you will dress as such!" Her voice softened somewhat as she looked back at Twilight. "Besides, I'd rather go another round with the Red King himself before I let Twilight go on her first official date with her special somepony as anything less than fabulous."

_I just wanted an easy quiet night. Why can't my life ever be easy?_

The clothing in question really was quite elegant. Twilight's dress was already done and she was ready to go. Her dress was a fairly simple one, but no less stunning because of it. It was primarily made of a purple fabric, a couple shades darker than that of her mane. She wore a long dress that started at the back of her neck and ran down the length of her body to drape over her tail and hind legs. The fabric was a kind of shimmering silk that clung to the curves of her body. The collar curved around her neck to taper to a v-point just below her throat. The underside of the dress offered two long sleeves for Twilight's forelegs and curved to cover her chest and belly that ended in an extended skirt. Rarity had also used a white thread to trace small images of stars similar to her cutie mark at strategic places across the dress. In short, I was having a hard time not staring.

The coat Rarity was making for me was similar in several ways to Twilight's dress. The fabric she used was the same slightly shining material that Twilight's was made of, but was colored jet black like my mane. The suit coat resembled a fairly standard tux around my chest. Two sleeves extended down the length of my forelegs and the back of the coat ended just above my flanks, leaving my pentacle cutie mark visible. The same thread that outlined stars on Twilight's dress was also used to outline smaller pentacles at certain points across the coat. I wasn't ever really one for fancy clothes. My general policy has always been: so long as it's comfortable it's good. Though I had to admit, there was a certain amount of pleasure at getting to be fancy for a change.

"And there we go!" Rarity cried with one final flourish of her needle and thread. She took a quick step back to admire her work, "Not bad, if I do say so myself. I think you may make more than a few mares jealous tonight, Twilight."

Twilight got up her cushion, making careful movements with her dress, and moved closer to inspect me. Her eyes lit up as she looked me over, "Oh Harry, you look amazing! Rarity, this is some of your best work."

_Wait, am I some kind of trophy now? Do I look good? What is the Equestrian standard for male appeal? Do I really care?_

"Thank you Twilight, I do pride myself on my work," Rarity crooned and moved towards a nearby wardrobe. "Alright, you two go ahead and head down to the main entry hall. I'll get down there as soon as I get dressed."

Those words only barely registered with Twilight. "Yeah, you do that," Twilight muttered absentmindedly. Rarity had evidently vanished from Twilight's mental radar as the purple unicorn took my hoof in hers and led me from Rarity's room.

I sighed and silently followed Twilight out of the room towards the party Luna and Rarity had thrown together._I swear, one of these days I am going to have to find someone to explain to me how a woman's mind works._

Twilight and I left Rarity to her devices and walked down the hallway together. As we reached the staircase leading down to the ground level of the barracks my brain finally got the restart it needed. I shook my head slightly and tried not to gape at Twilight and her dress, "You know there's something that's still kind of bugging me." Twilight shot me a quick glance as we went down the stairs. "I mean Canterlot gets invaded and almost overrun, and Luna's response to this is to throw a party? I guess I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around that."

Twilight smiled at me and chuckled a little, "I thought Pinkie would've taught you more about ponies than that. No matter the situation, ponies love to unwind with parties." Twilight shrugged a bit, "I personally prefer smaller parties with my friends, but I still enjoy the occasional get-together. Heck, this isn't even the first time Canterlot's been invaded." I glanced at Twilight in bewilderment until I dimly remembered her mentioning that little tidbit back in Sugarcube Corner. "The last time, a force of changelings attacked and nearly took over Canterlot during the middle of my brother's wedding. We managed to push back the changelings with a bit of luck, and then we finished the wedding that same night."

We passed by several guards, and as we did so a few of them paused in their movements to glance back at us. I took a certain amount pride in that fact.

"It sounds like you don't need any help from me to lead an interesting life," I commented with a slight chuckle.

Twilight edged a little closer as we left exited the barrack's front doors. "Yeah, but with you I know I'll never get bored."

"I suppose not." We grew silent and simply enjoyed the leisurely stroll towards the castle's main hall.

After a short minute or so walk through the castle's stone interior, we approached one of the doors that separated the main hall from the outer wings. I edged toward the door first and held it open for Twilight like a proper gentlecolt, and after receiving a short nod in thanks, I followed her into the hall.

I was a little blown away by what I saw. The entry hall had been almost completely redone. Brightly colored banners and streamers covered the vast majority of the room, and a long red carpet ran from the main castle doors to the end connecting to the throne room. A large table laden with a wide variety of foods and drinks lined the entirety of one wall. There was even a little raised stage set up in the corner where a small orchestra had set up and filled the room with pleasant background music. On top of all that, the entire hall was filled with Canterlot's citizens. Ponies of every shape, size, and color stood around the room and conversed with each other. Contrary to what you'd expect from the room's population, it was not to load. Most of the ponies were talking in semi-hushed whispers were glancing at each other nervously. The volume level was definitely above average, but I could still clearly clear those near me without them needing to raise their voices too much.

The anxiety probably wasn't helped by the substantial presence of the equestrian military on guard duty over the event. Several armored ponies carrying or levitating spears could be seen on the outskirts of the crowd, and several crossbow armed pegasi were either floating around or perched at convenient overlooks. Personally I felt a little comforted by the knowledge that if anything wished me bodily harm, they'd have to get past a couple dozen pointy spears and bolts first.

"Hells bells, a bit of a turn out huh?" I looked over the heads of the crowded ponies towards the end of the entry hall nearest the throne room. As expected I spotted Luna standing and surveying the gathered ponies, but her sister wasn't with her. I looked over the rest of the room and still couldn't find any trace of the gargantuan alabaster alicorn. "Hey Twilight, where's Celestia? Shouldn't she be here as well?"

Twilight frowned and turned her gaze over the gathered ponies as well. "That's… strange," she muttered under her breath, a slight crease forming between her eyebrows. "She must be busy dealing with some military business. I suppose this is Princess Luna's party after all." She relaxed a bit and looked back around at said party, "Speaking of which, Rarity and Luna really went all out. Just look at these decorations!"

"I see them Twilight," I agreed absentmindedly as I followed the purple unicorn towards the buffet table.

"Woah, look at all of this food." Twilight's mouth visibly watered as she looked over the table. "I'll bet that Pinkie made most of this."

I sighed and pushed my way through two large earth ponies until I drew even with her. The table in question held a decent amount of the usual hay and things, but there was also a generous assortment of pastries with large amounts of pink frosting. "Yeah, that'd probably be a safe bet."

Twilight ignored most of the food and moved towards the end of the table, "Oh, they even set up a coffee maker at the end here. It's been a good while since I've seen one of those."

That perked up my ears. "Wait, coffee? Did you say coffee?" I found Twilight and followed her gaze to the end of the table, where there was a rudimentary coffee maker set up and several empty mugs surrounding it.

I had never really considered myself addicted to the caffeine coffee had provided, but during my long nights in Chicago I had often needed it to keep myself alert and going on whatever I was supposed to be focusing on. Now that I was seeing the caffeinated goodness for the first time in about three weeks, I had to rethink my assertions that I wasn't addicted to it.

I went from one end of the table to the other so fast, that I'm not entirely sure I didn't just teleport. With a combination of telekinesis and greedy hooves, I grabbed the pot and poured myself a steaming mug of black coffee. I resisted the urge to simply dunk my face into the beverage and instead forced myself to sip at the drink. It was at the perfect temperature and I nearly moaned in delight as the caffeine slowly worked its way into my system.

I don't care about the arguments some bring up that coffee is bad for your heart and all that garbage. As any college student will tell you: coffee makes good things better and makes bad things tolerable. Not that I went to college mind you.

"Oh, you glorious beauty of a drink," I sat back on my haunches and damn near cradled the mug as though it were my child, "Where have you been all my life?"

"Hey!" Twilight cried indignantly.

I took another long draw from my mug before I responded. "Shush Twilight, I'm having a moment."

Beside me, Twilight groaned in exasperation, "Great, now I'm competing against a drink."

I laughed and flashed a quick grin, "Don't sell yourself short, this coffee isn't anywhere near as interesting as you are." She smiled and nuzzled against me a little. "Plus it can't teleport," I added.

Twilight pushed away and shot me an evil look, which was only ruined a little by the tiny smile at the edge of her lips, "Well if that's all it takes, remind me to never to leave you alone with Celestia."

I refilled my mug and took another long swig. I could feel the beginnings of a pleasant caffeine buzz forming in the back of my head. "I'd rather not risk being attached to a lesser deity, thank you." I gave her a little grin, "One wrong move and I could find myself on a one-way trip to the heart of the Sun. I think I'm better off with you."

As soon as I said that I felt a slight prod against my back. I turned around and was faced with a sizeable amount of worried stares. A large amount of the ponies in attendance had crowded around the coffee table and stood in a sizeable partial ring just a few feet away. With the sudden attention I was getting, the only thing that went through my mind was that I was incredibly overdressed. Most of the gathered ponies wore only basic decorative clothing, if anything at all.

A dark blue pegasus near the front of the group spoke up, "You're the commander the Princesses hired right?"

"What were those things that attacked the city?" another random pony asked.

"Does this have to do with those disappearances?"

"I heard they're something called Red Court vampires."

"Are we at war?"

Many more such questions assaulted me from every angle. My ears flattened themselves to my skull in an attempt to drown out the noise. Beside me Twilight had likewise flattened her ears and backed away a step or two from the crowd, clearly uncomfortable with so many eyes on her. I immediately became deeply irritated at the whole situation. I generally don't like being ignored in a conversation, but I hate being the center of attention even more. When I'm placed in such a situation I usually become rude, confrontational, or even violent depending on who's around me. The kicker is that such actions usually draw more attention rather than drive it away, it's a vicious cycle.

"Hells bells, you're a bunch of vultures. SHUT IT!" I roared at the assembled ponies. At once everypony there fell silent and looked at me expectantly. I dimly noted that more than a few of the crossbow armed pegasi above us had fluttered to a slightly closer perch. I ignored them and craned my head around to speak to Twilight, who had moved to stand slightly behind me. "Hey Twilight, I'll handle this. Go and see if you can find some of the others."

She glanced nervously between the group of citizens and myself, "You sure?"

I nodded in response, "Yeah, it's me they want to talk to, not you." I looked back around at the ponies and glared at them intently, "But if I take more than a few minutes, I want you to grab the nearest blunt object and come back for me."

Twilight sighed and shook her head slightly, "Just don't get in too much trouble Harry." With that said, she vanished in a flash of purple light. I saw an identical flash of light further down the room.

_I make no promises,_ I thought as I turned and faced the crowd again. The same blue pegasus was about to speak up, but I cut him off with a glare. "Okay, here's the deal," I spoke to the ponies as clearly as I could. "I will give you a brief summary of what you need to know, and then you will leave me alone. You will not pester me with questions." A few of the ponies nearer to me shifted and were about to speak. "If you don't like that, then feel free to find a wall and voice your concerns to it," I said, raising my voice slightly to cut off those few that were about to talk. "Agreed?"

Many in the crowd glanced at one another before silently nodding their heads in agreement.

I grinned, "Good. First thing's first, yes those were creatures called Red Court vampires. I'll spare you the finer details, but you should consider them to be extremely unfriendly."

"What should we do if we see one of those things?" a dark green earth pony in the front blurted out, and then immediately covered his mouth with a hoof.

_So much for no questions._

I pointed a hoof at the offending pony, "After I'm done here, you will go stand in the corner." The pony in question looked at me in bewilderment at being treated as though he were a foal. I ignored him and continued on as though nothing had happened, "If you should come across one, run screaming in the opposite direction. Get the attention of a nearby guard if possible and then find sanctuary wherever you can." The ponies again shot each other more worried glances. "Though that shouldn't be much of an issue for now." I was only greeted with more confused looks. I ignored them and pressed on, "I haven't heard much about their movements since their attack. But in this instance, no news is good news." I paused for a moment to let that sink in. "Because of their defeat a few days ago, they will have to lie low and replenish their losses before they can make any kind of movement against us." I gestured at the armored soldiers standing guard around the party. "This will be much harder for them to do with the new training regimen that our soldiers and guardsponies are going through. So it should be a good while before we see another sizeable force of vampires." At this, many of the crowded ponies visibly relaxed. "So for the time being, just relax and let us do our job."

That of course wasn't all the details, and they knew it, but it was what they needed to know. The gathered ponies glanced between each other and began muttering slightly. Slowly, a few of them moved away towards other groups around the entry hall. One by one they departed until finally there was just me and my coffee. I sighed, downed the rest of my mug, and set off to try and find Twilight.

Almost immediately after I set out, my attention was drawn to another group of ponies similar to the one that was around me. My curiosity got the better of me and I drew closer to investigate.

As soon as I got close enough, I noted that this crowd was indeed a solid ring of ponies around a central figure. I pushed my way through the ring until I could get a clear view of the speaker. The pony in question was a fairly large unicorn stallion. His coat was a brilliant white, while his pristine mane and tail were the golden brown of fine hay. Something about how this particular stallion held himself, with his chin high in the air, just screamed 'pompous ass' to me.

Some of those in the ring around the unicorn seemed to share my presumptions. There were several at the inner ring that looked at him with admiration as though he were something similar to Celestia herself, though the ones a bit further back offered looks varying from distaste, to outright disgust.

"I don't know what everypony is so scared about," the unicorn said in the sort of posh tone of voice that you get from someone with an oversized ego and a high social class. "We chased those things off with their tails tucked between their legs." He chuckled slightly, "They were never any real threat."

If the ponies around this stallion gave any credence to his words and treated the Red Court as anything less than a threat, then needless violence would ensue. I can't abide useless personalities, worse are those that are so inept they endanger others through their words and general stupidity. Even worse yet are those whose egos are so inflated, they genuinely believe that everyone around them should hang on their every word. Whenever I come in contact with such a personality, I have a strong desire to grab the nearest pointy thing and see just how sturdy their ego really is. Luckily for me, I had just such an instrument attached to my skull.

I broke through the crowd and faced the unicorn that had earned my ire, "Excuse me, but who are you and have you recently suffered brain damage?"

Several of the more enraptured ponies gasped at me, a few of the more irritated ones look at me with some measure of interest. The stallion in the center turned to face me and looked me over with disapproving eyes.

"I am Prince Blueblood," the unicorn stated as though the name alone would humble me. "Why would you think I have suffered brain damage?"

I stepped a little closer and scowled at him. "Because mental deficiency is the only reason I can think of for treating the deaths of several soldiers so casually."

Blueblood narrowed his eyes at me and held his chin a little higher, "Who are you to address royalty so?"

"I am Harry Dresden, the one Celestia hired to teach how to fight those monsters," I growled at him.

Blueblood's only response was to snort at me. "Well Mister Dresden, I don't know how you managed to con your way into Canterlot Castle, but you clearly aren't any kind of nobility. I see no reason to put any value in a unicorn that won't even style his mane for a royal party," he said with a derisive smile on his face. "I don't deny that the loss of life is a tragedy, but such is the hazard of their line of work. As for those monsters you're so afraid of, they never got anywhere near the castle. They are no significant threat."

I gritted my teeth and felt my left ear begin to twitch rapidly. Forgetting that I was in the middle of a group of witnesses, I lunged forward to put the hoof of my right foreleg behind his head, forcing his high and mighty face down into easier bruising distance. "I think I know how to find out if you're right or not. I know this earth pony, before she followed me here to protect your sorry hide she bucked apples trees for a living. She's physically strongest damned mare I've ever seen and easily the match for one of those monsters that you're not worried about." I pulled his head closer so that I was nearly growling into his face, "How about I go get her to pound on your face a few times, and if your ego comes away unscathed then we'll know you're right."

"Release me at once!" Blueblood yelled while trying to get my hoof out from behind his skull.

Someone cleared their throat right behind me, and both Blueblood and I paused in our struggle to look at who had caught our attention. Applejack and Twilight stood behind me; the former was looking at the situation with a certain amount of amusement, the later looked at me with a single raised eyebrow. So far as I was concerned, I was justified in trying to scare some sense into Blueblood; but Twilight's look of disapproval bypassed that and actually made me feel a little ashamed at my actions. I released Blueblood and he staggered backwards to pick himself together.

_Speak of the devil…_

"Trying to make some new friends, Dresden?" Applejack asked with a slight chuckle.

Twilight shook her head slightly and offered me a small smile. Behind me, Blueblood finished picking himself back up and straightening his ruffled mane.

"I'll see you in chains for this!" he yelled at me and hurriedly pushed his way through the crowd.

Applejack moved to follow after Blueblood, "I'd better go after him and make sure he doesn't do anything he'll regret."

The gathered crowd began dispersing as well since their source of information was probably going to be stonewalled by some of my battalion and Applejack. In short order the last of the crowd melded back into the party until it was just Twilight and I standing in the relatively empty corner of the castle's entry hall.

I moved to stand beside her and offered the most innocent smile I could muster, "Hey Twilight, I don't ask you for much, but would you mind if I set Blueblood on fire?"

Twilight sighed and began laughing under her breath, "Harry, no."

I knelt a little bit and looked at Twilight as though I were a child begging his mother for a toy, "Please, just a little? A few second degree burns would do him some good."

Twilight tried and failed to stifle a smile, "I don't want to spend my immediate future explaining to the princesses why their newest commander assaulted royalty." She paused to consider for a moment, "Besides I think Rarity has already called dibs."

I sighed and nodded my head, "Who am I to take that away from Rarity? Though tell her to come to me if she needs any help planning an escape route."

"Is somepony conspiring over here?" a deep masculine voice asked somewhere of to our side.

A large unicorn stallion calmly walked over to stand in front of us. The stallion had a pure white coat similar to Michael's and a blue two-toned mane and tail. His build was that of a stallion that exercised regularly, his hardy frame allowed for several toned muscles all over his body. His muscles weren't the big bulging muscles you'd expect to see on an egocentric body builder; rather he had the stringy muscles of a pony that spent a lot of time working on cardio as well as general strength. That and the fact that he was sporting an ornate purple and gold chestplate suggested that he was a member of the Equestrian military.

"Shining!" Twilight cried and bounded forward to give the stallion a big hug.

The stallion Twilight had dubbed 'Shining' returned the embrace and laughed, "Twilly, it's been far too long."

I immediately found several things aggravating about Twilight hugging another guy I didn't know right in front of me. Though they very clearly knew each other and I trusted Twilight, so I beat back that surge of anger until I figured out the whole picture. Twilight and Shining broke away from each other after a brief moment and Twilight made her way to stand next to me again.

"Shining, I want you to meet somepony." Twilight rubbed a hoof on my shoulder, "This is Harry Dresden, my… well, my coltfriend."

_Now there's something I never thought could be used to describe me._

Shining's demeanor immediately changed from joyous to suspicious. He narrowed his eyes and regarded me with the exact same calculating glare Spike and Twilight's parents had shot at me.

Twilight removed her hoof and instead gestured at the stallion, "Harry, this is Shining Armor-"

_Wait, I know that name. Why do I know that name?_

"-my brother."

_Of course he is._

Shining took a few steps forward and stared intently at me, the gears visibly turning in his head. After a few uncomfortable seconds, Shining finally spoke, "I overheard what you and Blueblood said to each other."

"He belittled the sacrifice of fallen soldiers." I gave a short shrug, "I corrected him."

That put a small smirk on his face. "A bit grating perhaps, but honorable, I approve." He lifted his head higher and offered me a genuine smile, "You don't need to worry about Blueblood. Most everypony that's been in a room with him for more than a few minutes knows how irritating he can be. I'll make sure that his reports against you get filed in the trash." He tilted his head slightly, "Where are you from anyway? I thought I knew every soldier and guardspony in Canterlot."

I waved him off with a hoof, "It's a long story, I'll explain later. Suffice it to say that I'm new to Canterlot."

He looked backed at me, confusion apparent over his features, "Okay… Is Canterlot all that different than where you're from?"

"You have no idea," I chuckled.

Twilight, who had been busy processing what her brother said, finally managed to break out of her mental block. "Wait, we have to get approval now? Where was your permission when you started going out with my old foalsitter?" In the space of a heartbeat, her expression shifted from mild defiance to deep concern. "Cadence! Is Cadence okay?"

Shining waved a hoof to placate his sister, "Yes little sis, don't worry. Cadence is perfectly fine. We were establishing a new settlement to the far north when we received news that Canterlot had been attacked. I made sure that Cadence was safe overlooking the construction and then I got down here as fast as I could." He set his hoof back down and offered Twilight a warm smile. "And as for my approval, I'm your older brother Twilly. It's my job to watch out for you and to run off the occasional stallion."

Twilight relaxed a little at that tidbit of information and dropped back into good natured sibling confrontation. "I've been in a few fights. I can watch out for myself, thank you."

That caught Shining off guard, he frowned and quirked an eyebrow at me.

"She's decided to follow me and to help me protect as many ponies as we can," I explained. "Nothing I said could make her go to safety, so I did the only thing I could do to prepare her. I taught her how to use magic to fight. Thus far we've been in two sizeable fights." I shrugged my shoulders and decided to give credit where it was due. "I should also mention that in one of them she managed to keep my tail from being ripped apart."

This very clearly didn't go over well in Shining's mind. His frown deepened and a definite crease formed between his eyes. I could see that he was already drawing together plans to get his sister to safety just like their parents had. He opened his mouth to voice his disapproval, but Twilight raised a hoof to cut him off.

"Shining... don't," Twilight said as she shook her head at her brother. "I know what you're going to say, and I don't care. M-Mom and Dad tried to get me to go back home, but I don't want to. I'm needed here."

The muscles over Twilight's shoulders and haunches visibly tensed underneath her dress. The mention of her parents had stung a lot deeper than her carefully calm face let on, but I knew her well enough to notice her stress. I reached a hoof to glide over her foreleg in an attempt to soothe her. She made no movement to acknowledge the offer, choosing instead to continue staring at her brother; even still, I noticed much of the tension leave her shoulders and haunches.

Shining's expression softened into an almost sorrowful smile, "I suppose there's no point, we never could stop you once you set your mind to something." The smile slid from his face and he appeared to age several years in just a few seconds. "I-I heard about Mom and Dad. Are you okay?"

In response, Twilight sidestepped until her side pressed up against mine. I smiled as I felt her tail flick around trying to get at me, but was restricted from doing so by her long dress. "I'm fine big brother, I really am," she assured Shining, a distinct note of calmness creeping over her face and into her voice.

Those words and the sense of peace in his sister's face did wonders for Shining. The lines around his eyes and muzzle vanished as a strong sense of youth returned to him. "That's great to hear Twilly, I'm sure they're happy." He cleared his throat and redirected his attention between Twilight and I, "I think that's enough catching up, I was hoping that one of you could tell me something about these 'creatures' that are running around Equestria. I've only been in town for a couple of hours and I haven't been able to get a single pony to stand still long enough to tell me anything."

"You don't know?" I asked the large unicorn. "I kind of assumed that most members of the military and guardsponies knew the details of what's going on."

Shining shook his head slightly, "I've been too far north, and we haven't been touched by any of this. On my way down here I did run into a few of Princess Celestia's patrols. They told me that some creatures called 'Red Court vampires' were running around and had attacked Canterlot, beyond that not much else."

Twilight stepped to the side, giving me back some personal space. "Well as far as their movements go, that's about all we know," she explained. "The Red Court are in hiding at the moment, we don't know where."

"We have a lead that we're looking into though," I added. "If you want more specific information on how to fight them, I'm sure you could jump into one of the classes we have set up."

Shining thought about that and then nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I might just do that."

"Great, I'd love to have to have you in my sparing group!" a familiar voice bellowed just to our side.

Michael calmly trotted over to stand with the three of us, a warm smile plastered on his face. The air around us seemed to grow delightfully warm as the giant earth pony crusader drew closer. Behind him I could see that the crowds of ponies that Michael must have pushed through to get at us were showing similar signs of comfort and peace. Oddly enough this image of peace wasn't hindered by the suit of plate and chainmail armor he wore and_Amoracchius_slung over his back in Rarity's scabbard.

_He really does spread calmness wherever he goes doesn't he?_A small smirk tugged at the edge of my mouth,_He'd probably make a fortune as a therapist. Then again every therapist I've ever meet are greedy by-the-hour jerks that will prescribe medication for fake symptoms. So, maybe not._

I stepped forward and gestured a hoof at Michael, "Shining, this is my friend-"

"Michael Carpenter," Shining finished for me. He took a step or two towards Michael, a certain amount of fascination playing over his features. "I've heard some interesting things from some of the guardsponies I've talked to. They've told me about a certain white earth pony stallion that can wield magic into battle better than most unicorns. I assume that would be you?"

Michael hesitated for a moment, thrown off balance by his unexpected reputation. After he recovered from the shock, he offered a warm smile and shook his head, "That is me yes, but the credit is not mine to take. I am just a conduit for the Lord's will."

This time Twilight stepped forward to speak, her inquisitive nature taking over. "Wait, are you saying that the white light I've seen you use against the vampires isn't your own power? That it comes from another source?"

Michael nodded in the affirmative and opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by a wave of my hoof. I took a few steps closer to whisper into his ear, "Uh Michael, tread carefully when you're talking about your faith. No offense, but historically when a new religion is introduced to a society, bad things tend to happen." I shot a quick glance up the entry hall at Princess Luna, who was engaged in a conversation with several nobles. "Particularly a society that has two tangible god figures ruling over them."

Michael considered that for a moment, his eyes tracked over the ponies around him and back up to Luna. "I do see your point," he whispered back. "But if they seek it, I will not deny them the knowledge of God." I sighed and returned to Twilight's side, desperately hoping that I wasn't about to be on the receiving end of the Equestrian equivalent of a witch hunt. Michael straightened back up to readdress Twilight and Shining, who were both staring at him expectantly. "I'll keep this simple, that light you've seen me use comes from this." Michael shrugged his shoulder to draw attention to _Amoracchius_. "This is a weapon that was entrusted to me so that I might protect the innocent from the dark creatures that would prey on them. With it, I unleash God's power to embolden the righteous and destroy the wicked."

Twilight tilted her head in puzzlement, "What exactly do you mean when you say 'God's power'?"

"God, the Lord Almighty," Michael said and bowed his head as though in prayer. "He heals and safeguards the souls of all good men and women. He created life and is the father to all things."

I started feeling a little anxious and looked around the party for the most convenient escape route.

Shining frowned and furrowed his eyes in concentration, "Father to all things… Father…" His eyes snapped open in sudden realization, "Wait, you mean the King?"

Twilight made a little "Oh" of comprehension at her brother's words. Michael and I just kind of stood there, unsure of how exactly to respond to that. I was the first to find my voice again, and did what I always do when I don't know what I'm talking about.

I offered a small smirk at Shining, "I'm not really sure what Elvis has to do this, but what the hay I'll roll with it."

"Who is…? No never mind," Twilight stammered. She regained her composure and visibly switched into lecture mode, "The King is Celestia and Luna's father. When we die he watches over us and protects us."

"According to the legend, long ago the King left his ethereal realm and came to Equestria," Shining recounted. "Once here, he fell in love with a mare and Celestia was the result of that love."

Twilight nuzzled against my cheek, eliciting a smile from both of us. "For several years they lived together in a modest house that they made," she picked up where her brother left off. "Until eventually, Luna came along. Sadly the mother died giving birth to Luna, leaving the King alone with two young fillies." Twilight shook her head slightly, "Now because of the King's connection to the afterlife, he could still feel the mother's presence; but without actually being able to be near her, he grew restless."

"He became so consumed by loss that he eventually decided to return to his ethereal realm to be with her again," Shining cut in. "But before he left, he gathered together the several friends and colleagues he had gathered in his time on Equestria. These friends became the first Royal Guard and watched over the young princesses." Shining then gestured a hoof over the entry hall of Canterlot Castle, "And eventually that house the King and his wife made grew into the Canterlot we have today."

Michael and I just stood there and blinked at each other for several seconds. Again I managed to find my voice first. "That… runs an interesting parallel," I muttered at Michael.

"Indeed it does," he responded. Michael shifted his gaze from me to Twilight and Shining, "You two recited that story rather well for such a sudden retelling."

Twilight smiled and nodded her head, "It's the first story every foal learns from their parents." Twilight and Shining exchanged meaningful glances. "It was Mom's favorite love story and she would tell it to us all the time when we went to bed." Twilight returned her gaze to me, "Now that being said, that is just a bedtime story version that's been told and retold for several hundred years. I'm sure that the actual events were slightly different, but all the base information is there."

"I haven't seen any places of worship for this King," I pointed out. "Shouldn't there be some kind of established church?"

"Some ponies do have private altars in their homes," Shining explained. "Though for the most part we worship him indirectly; by honoring the Princesses, we honor the King."

"Do you remember at my-my parents' funereal, when Celestia said 'May you find peace with our father'?" Twilight stammered. "She literally meant, her father."

I threw my head back and began laughing softly. Michael and Shining looked at me as though I had just lost my mind. Twilight merely sighed and patiently waited for me to stop. "Every time I think I get a handle on this place, something always surprises me."

Shining quirked his head at Michael and I, "You two seriously haven't heard all of this? Where did you grow up that doesn't teach foals about the Princesses?"

My anxiety returned as I opened my mouth to say the simplest lie I could come up with. Thankfully Twilight came to my rescue before I managed to dig myself into a hole. "Big brother, it's alright. It's a long story, and I'll explain everything later," she offered.

Shining wasn't so easily swayed however. "It's a simple enough question." His eyes narrowed at us as various possible scenarios went through his head, "Unless, did you guys grow up as hermits or something? Or maybe-"

Whatever he said next was lost under a bunch of outcries from nearby ponies. The four of us immediately jumped to face the source of the disturbance. Several of the citizens were hurriedly backing away from the main doors of the entry hall. Because of the sudden lack of bodies, I could clearly see what exactly they were moving away from.

Several feet in front the main doors, a large blob of swirling darkness and shadows was rising from the floor and slowly rolled forward. As the shadow rose higher off the ground it began to come together and take the base shape of a pony, and a big one. For a couple of seconds everypony in the entry hall just stared at the apparition as it finalized its shape and distinct features began to appear. It took the shape of a huge unicorn stallion standing with the same proportions of Celestia. Due to the shadows comprising the shade, the coloration of the entire thing was jet black; but that didn't matter, there was only one stallion I'd ever seen that matched those proportions. My lips peeled away from my teeth and my blood began to boil as a shadow conjuration of the Red King calmly strolled down the entry hall.

Most of the soldiers and guardsponies throughout Canterlot had been given a description of the Red King after their attack, and had been instructed to kill the creature on sight if it ever resurfaced. The pegasi above us acted on this order and drew a bead on the apparition. Barely half a second after its identity became clear, about a dozen crossbow bolts whizzed through the air at the shade. The bolts proved useless and simply passed through the shadow, embedding into the stone floor beneath it.

"Now that is hardly any way to treat a guest," the Red King sneered as he continued walking.

All of the citizens parted to the long walls on either side of the room, giving the shade a long clear walkway leading to Luna at the end. Michael left our side to stand partway between the Red King and the Princess of the Night. His hooves planted wide apart, Michael drew _Amoracchius_with a dull flash of white light that shone throughout the entire room. As the shade drew closer to Michael, its movements became visibly labored until it was forced to a halt about ten feet away from the massive earth pony, halfway down the entry hall. Michael's white light seemed to be the only thing that managed to have an effect on the shade.

As soon as the Red King stopped moving the rest of the soldiers present moved to contain the specter. Almost two dozen armored ponies formed a ring of Equestrian steel around the Red King and lowered their razor sharp spears to level with the conjuration. Just outside of the ring, Pinkie, who had been busy restocking the buffet with her signature cupcakes, also took up arms against the intruder. Although seeing as how her weapons of choice were the same pink cupcakes she was trying to restock, I labeled her as a potential hindrance rather than useful backup.

The Red King ignored his surroundings and peered past Michael at Luna, "You must be Princess Luna, former warlock known as Nightmare Moon." A smile played over his shadow muzzle, "The iconic figure of fear and nightmares for countless generations, now playing a gentle caretaker for those same ponies that feared you for so long." He gave a little bow, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

For a few moments nopony really did or said anything. The soldiers just focused on maintaining formation around the Red King. Michael couldn't say anything owing to the weapon between his teeth, and thus simply focused on keeping his light shining against the shade. The rest of us were still processing the sudden intrusion of the Red King and as such were stunned for several seconds.

Luna was the first to fully adjust to the intrusion, and drew herself up to look down her muzzle at the specter. "So, you are still alive. I must admit, I was holding out hope that you met your end under my sister's power," Luna snarled, frost edging its way into her voice. After a brief second I could spot some literal frost forming on the stairs around her hooves.

"Your concern is touching Princess," the Red King chuckled.

"Why have you returned here?" Luna thundered, her voice growing in volume with each word she said. "Have you come to your senses and decided to surrender?"

A wicked smile stretched the Red King's features, "Hardly. I've simply come with a message." He held his head a little higher and peered around at not only the soldiers, but also the citizens. "Surrender and you will be spared." Several nervous whispers ran through the crowd at this, but were silenced as the Red King continued. "We vampires are not the monsters you would paint us as, we are not unreasonable beings. We don't want such senseless loss of life. But make no mistake; we will see Canterlot taken, and those that do not submit to us will be severely punished." His voice carried around the room as though he were a practiced speaker as he addressed the crowd. "Those of you that surrender will be shown the mercy your leaders would mark us incapable of. In fact, if you so desire, you would even be rewarded with a very special blessing."

It took me only about half a second to figure out the Red King's play. There was no way that he'd be able to simply win over the citizens, there'd been too much bloodshed for that. He was instead spreading fear and casting doubt among those gathered at the party. I saw the citizens of Canterlot looking back at Luna with varying amounts of uncertainty in their eyes and with several more nervous mutterings. If Luna really had been the subject of nightmares for generations upon generations, then no matter how much she tried to comfort them, there would always be a hint of doubt in the back of everypony's mind. Those who had grown up hearing about her as though she were a monster in the dark would forever wonder if maybe her return wasn't just some sort of long term scheme. Those of us that personally knew Luna would know better than that of course, but the vast majority of Equestria didn't personally know her. That inherent fear was what the Red King was toying with. He was trying to turn himself into the lesser of two evils.

I suddenly had a much greater respect for Luna's desire to be socially accepted, and deeply wished I knew how to sway a crowd in my favor. Thankfully the various Bearers of the Elements scattered throughout the crowd stepped forward where Luna and I couldn't.

"He's lying!" roared a familiar country accent. Applejack stepped out in-between the ponies along the far wall and the circle of soldiers. "That varmint doesn't care about us in the slightest. He's just trying to scare us!"

"He's a big old meanie!" Pinkie added lamely.

One of the pegasi above us zoomed down to hover over Michael and whipped off her leather cap. Rainbow scowled down at the shade, brandishing her crossbow and her wings flaring open as wide as possible to attract the most attention she could. I made a mental note to berate her later for taking guard duty without at least letting me know.

"He's just scared. We pushed him back once and now he's desperate to try anything he can," Rainbow shouted loud enough to be heard from all corners of the room.

Beside me, Twilight's demeanor had pulled a complete one-eighty. Mere moments before, she had been happy to see her brother, affectionate towards me, and smiling with everyone else. She had been enjoying fond memories with those she deeply cared for. Now however, being faced with the thing that had been responsible for her parents' death if he hadn't done the deed himself, her expression was the very picture of rage and fury. Her narrowed eyes were locked onto the shade, her lips peeled away in a snarl to show almost every single one of her teeth, and her ears pointed directly forward at the Red King.

"You are a monster and a murderer!" Twilight roared at the shade, small flecks of spittle flying from her mouth. "I would sooner die before surrendering to the likes of you!"

The hall fell silent after Twilight's outburst for several moments. Whispers slowly emerged from the ponies around us. The general feel of the whispering was much more self-assured compared to the nervousness of earlier. Many of the citizens shifted their gazes back at the Red King and scowled defiantly.

I took a step forward and jabbed my chin at the Red King, "Why don't you do yourself favor. Go find a nice deep dark hole somewhere and make sure we never see your face again," I spat. "It's about the only way you'll survive here."

At those words, the Red King shifted his attention around to Twilight and I. His eyes flashed in recognition as he saw us over the heads of the soldiers around him. "You two," he whispered, his voice slithered and dripped with malice. "Don't think I've forgotten that little baptism by fire you two gave me. I can assure you that there are much worse things than having your flesh peeled away by conjured flames, and you will endure them all." He turned back around to face the crowd again, "As for the rest of you, you are correct. You have fought valiantly and have won Canterlot. You are a powerful nation, for now. But for every soldier that falls and every time you grow weaker, we grow stronger." His eyes swept back up to track Luna. "This is not a war you can win. You must surrender, or you will fall."

I felt the magical energies around me begin to shift and move to a point near me. I craned my head to find the source, and found that Twilight had begun drawing in power, a lot of it. Whether she was doing it intentionally or not, I wasn't sure, but the look on her face was nearing rage induced madness. Her scowl was deeper, jaw clenched tighter, and I thought there was even a small bit of foam at the corner of her mouth. Small sparks of electricity began dancing along her form and her mane started blowing in a nonexistent wind, just like in Canterlot's streets right before we glassed about fifty feet worth of street and storefronts.

My anger at the Red King evaporated on the spot as I realized the situation Twilight was in. The blind rage and desire for vengeance were completely new and unbelievably strong emotions for her, emotions that she had no experience with and no control over. When a powerful practitioner loses control of their anger, collateral damage could get tallied in the hundreds or even thousands. I had to calm her down as fast as possible. From experience I knew that words would be almost useless in her state, so I did the only thing I could that made sense to me. I moved next to her, draped a foreleg over her shoulders, and nuzzled against her cheek and under her chin as affectionately as I could.

The effect was almost immediate. Twilight's fevered breathing slowed back down to her normal pace and I could feel the energy she had collected slowly drift away. I withdrew a step or two until I could see her face again. Her mane fell neatly back into place around a face that had shifted from barely restrained fury, to outright fear. Her eyes widened and danced around in her head as she realized just how close she came to losing control. After a brief moment she looked at me with tear filled eyes that were equal parts sorrow and silent thanks, and pressed herself up against my side again.

Twilight's near meltdown went, for the most part, unnoticed by the rest of the room. Shining was the only one who seemed to notice anything, and was looking at Twilight with a large amount of surprise. I could only assume he had never thought of his little sister as the magical equivalent of a crate of C4. The rest of the entry hall remained focused on the Red King. At the end of the hall and up the steps, I hadn't noticed that Luna was experiencing her own form of immortal rage. Everything within twenty feet or so of Luna was covered in a thin sheet of foggy ice, and Luna herself appeared close to violence. Her starlight mane and tail were flowing in the air around her while her eyes were glowing a bright blue, giving her the illusion of being several times her normal size.

"**ENOUGH OF THIS!**" she roared at the Red King, her voice reaching her full and considerable volume. "**I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO CONTINUE TO SPREAD YOUR VENOMOUS WORDS TO MY SUBJECTS!**" Her horn began glowing a dark blue, "**BEGONE WITH YOU, DEMON!**"

Immediately after she said that, she shot a wave of energy from her horn that sped toward the conjuration of the Red King. Just before it impacted the shade threw its head back and let out cackling laughter. As soon as the wave of energy actually touched it, the specter disintegrated into a cloud of swirling shadows and still echoing laughter. The entire room immediately broke into fevered chatter after the shade was banished. Luna stomped a hoof into the ground, silencing the entire hall and spreading a network of cracks over the ice around her.

"Citizens of Canterlot, this event is now over," Luna called out, her voice carrying throughout the entry hall. "Please return to your homes and do not leave them until daybreak. Do not fear for your safety, there will be guards and constant patrols around the city. Sleep well." Before the words finished leaving her lips, the ponies around us made for the exit at a pace that wasn't quite outright panic, but definitely faster than normal movement for a large crowd. As the entry emptied out, most of the soldiers returned to their previous positions; all except for one that moved to kneel in front of Luna. "Send word to my sister at once. Tell her to organize search parties to comb the land a mile around Canterlot." The soldier nodded and ran off to carry Luna's message.

"Come on, we're done here," I whispered as I lowered my muzzle to nudge against Twilight's and began moving for the same door we used to enter the party. "I think you need to unwind for a bit."

Twilight nodded and kept pace with me. "Yeah, I'd like that," she whispered, her voice shaking slightly with rattled nerves. "I'd never felt so angry before in my life. I-I couldn't…"

"I know Twilight, I know," I whispered back. Feeling that a smile would do her some good, I offered her a wide grin, "You know I was a little tempted to just let you go at him. I'll bet you could've beaten him to a pulp through his conjuration."

Twilight chuckled under her breath and offered a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "Yeah, maybe I could've."

Several of our friends noticed our departure, but thankfully didn't intervene. Rainbow and Applejack were busy standing by the front door and trying to keep the fleeing ponies as calm as possible. Pinkie decided to help them by moving around the crowd while passing out as many pink cupcakes as she possibly could. Somehow, almost everypony that left the front doors was holding one of her signature pink pastries. How she managed such a thing without actually slowing them down was beyond me. Both Michael and Shining paused to cast Twilight and I one last quick glance before they chased off after Luna, most likely to aid in whatever plans she was cooking up.

I ignored all of that and focused on getting Twilight some peace and quiet. Her head leaned against my neck for support as we left the room, a gesture which I returned by leaning my head atop hers.

We exited the main hall through the side door nearest the barracks. I bucked the door shut as I passed through it, eager to put the night which had started off so well, behind me. No matter how much I tried however, I couldn't escape an odd sense of foreboding that hung over my head like a wet blanket. The Red King's not-so-veiled threats against me and mine were stressful enough, but the stress he caused those near me was weighing heavily on my mind, particularly the stress on the one that had lost more to the Red King than most.

I had taught Twilight how to wield magic as a powerful weapon. Now I needed to help her control it, and her emotions; because if she lost control again, and I couldn't hold her back, then everypony around her would pay the price.


	20. Chapter 20

**Flesh Masks Ch. 20**

The door to my room in the Canterlot barracks swung open in a cloud of red energy. I stood aside to let Twilight walk inside first. For the brief walk from the castle's entry hall back up to my room Twilight had been very silent and her eyes darted around inside her head. I could tell that she was still trying to process what had just happened to her and package it away in a neat little drawer somewhere in the back of her mind. However, powerful emotions such as the vengeful rage she had touched on moments before are rarely ever that neat and compliant. Those kinds of emotions imprint themselves into your mind and onto your soul, for better or for worse you are changed from the experience. That didn't stop her from trying to package it away though.

Without saying a word she entered my room and lay down on the bed while facing the door, the hooves of her forelegs dangled over the side. Her expression remained unchanged in her internal struggle of trying to control emotion with logic. I sighed softly and moved over to the bed as well, my hooves crunching slightly on the papers that were still littered over the floor.

"You might as well ask," I said as I hopped up on the bed and settled down next to her. "You really don't hide your thoughts all that well."

Twilight's focus cracked for a moment as she turned her head to look at me. In the span of few seconds, her expression shifted multiple times; her face changed from her carefully constructed neutral mask to wide eyed worry and fear, and then finally settled into nervous insecurity. Her ears dropped low next to her head and her worried eyes locked onto mine.

"I…" she started but then paused, at a loss for words. She shook her head slightly in an effort to clear her thoughts. "What happened to me back there?" she finally asked, her voice shaking a little with nerves. "I-I've never felt anything like that before, and I can't make any sense of it. I knew it was just a conjuration of the Red King and that we weren't in any danger, but I wanted... I wanted to…"

I raised a hoof to stop her, a familiar weariness falling over me as I did so. "From the moment you saw him you felt intensely angry that the creature that had caused you so much pain was so calmly standing in front you," I stated as Twilight's eyes grew wider in surprise. "That anger then fed on itself and grew and grew until the only things that mattered to your mind anymore were the Red King, you, and your magic. You had an unbelievably strong urge to let that magic loose, no matter who was nearby you, in the slim chance that injuring the shade would injure its real counterpart. Sound about right?"

Twilight just sat there and stared at me, completely dumbfounded at my words. "H-How did you know?"

I looked away and gave a defeated sigh, as my fears were confirmed. "That was called vengeful rage, and I know because it's something that most all White Council wardens experience eventually." My gaze shifted back up to track Twilight, "It's something that I assumed you'd never encountered before and I had wanted to keep it that way."

Twilight frowned at me in indignation, "Of course I've felt anger, Harry. You saw me in Manehattan and during the Red Court's attack on Canterlot. I was using those emotions to fuel my attacks."

I shook my head at her, "No, I'm talking about something beyond simple anger and fear. During those fights you were using a myriad of emotions and desires to fuel your spells," I explained. "Fear for your own wellbeing and the safety of your friends for example, are ample sources of energy and control. What you almost did at Luna's party was nothing like that." I could see that Twilight was drinking every word I was saying and was processing it to try and make sense of what she had felt. I ignored all of that and continued speaking, "You weren't afraid, you weren't thinking about anyone else, you could only think about the Red King and what you could do to hurt him."

By this point small tears began to form in the corner of Twilight's eyes. "But I don't want to think like that, I've never wanted to think like that," she said, her voice heavy as she fought to hold back more tears. "How am I supposed to stop it?"

I shifted away a little so that I could reach up and place a hoof under her chin. I lifted her head slightly so that she was looking directly into my eyes. "You can't, you can only control it," I said as bluntly as I possibly could. I removed my hoof from under her chin but continued to hold her gaze, "This is incredibly important for you to understand, you can't get rid of that anger. It's as much a part of you as your horn is," I said with a short gesture at the horn on her forehead.

"C-Control it?" she stammered.

I nodded and gave her a small smile, "Yes Twilight, you need to be able to control it. As much as I hate to say it, there is no way to stop it." I raised my hoof and swept it through the air in a vain attempt at theatricality, "That being said, that kind of emotion is a practitioner's most potent and most dangerous weapon. With it, you could turn the tide of a losing battle, you could decimate entire forces, you could level city blocks." I brought my gaze back to hers, "You could even kill the Red King."

Twilight was still looking none-too-pleased with the situation. I cast around in my memories for a moment, trying to find the best comparison to match what Twilight had felt. I needed her to know that the anger she felt wasn't inherently bad and that she wasn't a monster for thinking like she did.

My initial thought was the first time I'd used magic to wholeheartedly attack another mortal, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that didn't quite fit. My old adoptive parent, Justin DuMorne had been a right bastard and had betrayed my trust to try and enslave me. After I resisted him and escaped, I simply ran as fast as I could; but DuMorne had other plans. When DuMorne couldn't capture me, he tried to kill me. He summoned a powerful demon from some dark corner of the Nevernever and sent it to hunt me down and rip me apart. I just barely managed to beat the thing by getting it to stand in-between two gas pumps and letting my magic do what comes naturally. After the resulting explosion, I had time to stop and gather my thoughts. I knew that DuMorne wasn't just going to leave me alone, he was just going to keep coming after me until either I was dead or broken to his will. So to preserve my life I returned to my former home and killed my adoptive parent.

While definitely fueled by vast amounts of fury at DuMorne's betrayal, that action wasn't entirely based on my emotions. I had time to stop and think about what I wanted to do, and what I needed to do to survive. It was an action that was based in logical thought as well as desire for retribution. Depending on who you asked, it probably would've qualified as premeditated murder rather than preemptive self-defense. That was not what Twilight had experienced. If I hadn't intervened, her actions would've been a purely emotional reflex to the Red King's presence, no logic or rational thought involved at all. So instead I settled on the experience that had kick started all of this madness.

I looked into Twilight's eyes and held her gaze before I started talking. "Twilight, I need you to just listen to me for a second. Okay?" She hesitated for a second before silently nodding her head. I relaxed a little at the assumption that I had stymied her questions for the time being. "You remember that Red Court gala I told you about right?"

Twilight frowned a little, "The one where Susan followed you and got captured?"

I nodded my head, "Yes, well like you said Susan followed me to the party, but Michael was also there as my guest." I paused for a moment to reconsider that. "Okay more like a bodyguard, but that's beside the point. After a while things went sideways, mayhem broke loose and Michael, Susan, and I were in the middle of a large building that was completely packed with very angry vampires. We were trying to get out of there as fast as possible, but we got separated. Michael and Susan were pulled away from me and disappeared into the mess of blood and violence that the gala had become."

Through her contact with my hoof, I felt Twilight shudder as she tried to imagine what enraged vampires could do in an enclosed space.

I tried to suppress that mental image myself and pressed on, "I didn't really know what to do. I genuinely believed that I had gotten Michael and Susan killed in that damned building." I hesitated for a little as the details of that particular memory resurfaced. "I was so angry, Twilight. I was angry at myself for leading my friends there." I narrowed my eyes at Twilight, "But I was furious with the creatures that had taken my friends from me. I was so angry that I released all control and surrendered completely to that fury; and I had never channeled so much fire in my life, before or since. Because I lost control, I killed almost every living thing that was in that building." I felt Twilight give another little shudder, this time not from the vampires. I lifted my hoof to recapture her attention and stop her sudden unease, "But, the chaos I'd created gave Michael and Susan the opening they needed to escape from the mess of vampires. They managed to fight their way back to me and get all of us out. If they hadn't, I would have died in my own conjured flames. It's because of that rage that Michael and I are still alive."

Twilight's eyes shifted around in her head as she thought, "But, how…"

I sighed and shook my head slowly. I was never too good at delving into the emotional issues of right and wrong when applied to others' values. I crave structure, logic, and I love creating a daily routine. I knew how I felt about my actions and values, but I could never really grasp the subtleties of explaining those same values to others. When you toss in exceedingly powerful emotions into the mix, everything gets so much more complicated.

"The point I'm trying to make is that the anger you felt isn't inherently good or bad, it's just powerful," I tried to explain. "And like with most kinds of power, it's how you use it that matters."

Twilight's eyes grew a little wider as she began to realize the potential power she had tapped into earlier. "But I couldn't even begin to control it!" she cried, her features dropping back into nervous fear. "While I listened to the Red King talk, I just kept getting angrier and angrier, and before I knew it I was holding so much power together. I tried to remind myself that he wasn't actually there, but it didn't work. I just couldn't stop myself." She raised a hoof to rub the cheek I had nuzzled to calm her down, "But then you…"

"You tried to use logic and willpower to control your anger, and while those are important, they just weren't enough for what you were dealing with," I offered and moved closer to lie next to her again. "Emotions as powerful as rage have nothing but scorn for petty little things like reason. In order to reassert your willpower over yourself and regain control, you have to fight emotion with emotion." Twilight cocked her head at me in confusion. I smiled and lowered my head to rest on my forelegs, my face angled so that I was still looking at Twilight. "You have to use a second and just as powerful emotion to counteract the anger, once you do that you have a kind of base line to allow you to use your willpower and regain control over yourself, and more importantly over your magic."

Twilight's eyes unfocused as she concentrated on dredging up some information from her memories, "I've read one or two books on therapy practice, but I never really paid them much attention." She refocused her attention onto me, "How am I supposed to fight emotions with emotions? What emotions do I use? How do I use them?"

"I can't really answer that one for you, Twilight. Ultimately it's up to you to find exactly what would keep you grounded in reality." I lifted my head back up on level with hers and rubbed a hoof under my chin, a chuckle beginning deep in my throat. "Though I suppose I could tell you what keeps me sane… most of the time. Based on what I saw earlier, it could probably help you find your answer."

Twilight nodded feverishly, "Please."

A smile spread over my face as I lifted a foreleg to my chest. I dug my hoof under the suit vest I was still wearing until it found its prize. As I lifted my hoof away, my mother's silver pentacle amulet was pulled free and dangled in front of my face.

"Your amulet?" she asked, her head tilting to one side. "I thought that was just your symbol for magic."

"Yes, it's also the only possession my Mom left to me," I responded. "What I know of her is all word-of-mouth, but from what I've been told she was very outspoken, did her own thing all the time, and didn't let the White Council control her." I released the amulet and let it fall back to my chest. "I dream about my Dad from time to time, and he gives me advice when I really need it. The man's been dead for most of my life, and he's still taking me to school," I said with a slight chuckle in my throat. "Michael is my oldest friend and has had my back whenever I needed him, and not just when I was heading for a fight. Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow all abandoned their respective lives to come help me fight an enemy that they barely understood, and you are the glue that's holding us all together." Twilight gave me a warm smile at those words, even as my own smile grew weary and brittle. "I have been through so much, seen so much, that the only way I can continue to exist as I am now, is if I have friends and fond memories to keep me balanced. Whenever I feel myself slipping, and my anger begins to take over like it did at the gala, I think about the connections I've made to those near me and they remind me why I fight and what I fight for."

As soon as I said that, Twilight's eyes grew very wide as something visibly clicked into place somewhere in the back of her mind. Her entire body relaxed as she began laughing and swinging her head from side to side. "Just like with Discord," she muttered under her breath.

It was now my turn to stare perplexed for several moments. My mind went into overdrive as I struggled to remember the facts that went with that name. _Wait a minute,_ I thought to myself. _She told me about him at Sugarcube Corner. Discord the god of chaos, or something like that. He's supposed to be a… Oh crap, what was it? A dragon? No, that's not right. He's a draco… a dracon… a draconequus, that's it! But what does he have to do with anything?_

Twilight evidently noticed my confusion and rushed to provide an explanation. "I know I told you a little about this at Sugarcube Corner," she said, her ears sheepishly folded back behind her head. "But I didn't really tell you everything. I'm sorry, but I didn't know you too well at the time, and it's a little personal." Twilight inhaled deeply through her nose and seemed to the puffing herself up. Rarity's dress strained around her as her chest expanded with her lungs. She released her pent up breath and began talking, "After Discord broke free of his captivity he turned all my friends against me. I still don't know how, but he changed all of their minds and their base traits into a twisted mockery of who they were before." Her head drooped with the weight of sudden weariness, "I tried to get them to cooperate and help me, but they wanted nothing to do with me. For the first time after I made friends, I was alone again and I couldn't stand it. I lost all hope and just didn't care anymore, about Discord, about my friends, about myself, nothing. I wanted to leave Ponyville and never look back." Twilight looked back up at me, her face distinctly brighter and all-around happier, "But when I got back home, Celestia had sent me back all the letters I had sent her about my friends. As I reread them I remembered the friends I had once and could have again, if I fought hard enough." She leaned her head forward to tuck her muzzle under my chin. "I think I know exactly what I need to do, but thank you for reminding me."

My mind was so busy processing this new information that I only dimly registered her display of affection. She had told me about Discord and how she and her friends had defeated him, but all this stuff about temporarily losing her friends, and by extension her will to fight, was new to me; though I could easily understand the desire to keep that information private, given the sensitive nature of the memories.

At first I was deeply worried about the wellbeing of those under my command. If I had understood Twilight's words correctly, she said that Discord had performed major mental magic on her friends and had tied their brains into knots. If there was one thing that my years of experience with warlocks, not to mention the more than a few personal experiences, have taught me, it's that mind magic is a bitch. If we were back on Earth I would've expected Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow to all be raving lunatics after that ordeal, if not just completely homicidal. But after I thought about it for a second, I decided that there was no real need to worry. That kind of damage almost always has signs that would be extremely obvious to anyone that knew the victim. The fact that they were all apparently fine and acting normal, Pinkie not included, meant that they were likely just fine. I assumed that if there was any lasting damage caused by Discord in my friends' minds, then it was likely repaired by the Elements of Harmony. If the Elements could repair the mind of a thousand year deity warlock, then they could repair five fresh victims of mind magic.

What had surprised me more was that Twilight had already been subject to severe emotional damage. So much so that she had actively decided to abandon her life in Ponyville, however briefly. What Twilight had described to me were the early stages of an extreme depression. Most tend to underestimate just how powerful such a depression can be. Rage is a fairly explosive emotion, and when combined with magic, it makes a practitioner a great danger to friend and foe alike. Depression is much more implosive, and if left unchecked, it makes the practitioner a danger to himself or herself. If Twilight's letters hadn't been sent back, and if she hadn't found strength in those memories, then there was every chance that Twilight wouldn't have been laying next to me in my room; and by extension, I likely would've died back in that Manehattan alleyway.

I smiled and closed my eyes at that, my guilt receded a good bit as she nuzzled against me. Maybe it was the general aura of relaxation that had settled over me or maybe it was the mare rubbing her snout across mine, probably both, but at that moment something clicked in the back of my pleasure addled brain and I started moving on autopilot. I instinctively returned her motions with my own and began running my muzzle across hers, sighing contentedly as I did. What we did wasn't so much kissing as it was passionate nuzzling. The countless small dark grey hairs covering my snout swayed and displaced one another as they meshed with Twilight's, producing a delightful tingling sensation as they stimulated the nerves below them. The sensation bypassed my brain and reached down to the muscles of my neck which responded eagerly with increased movement, causing more and more of the sensitive fur on my muzzle to be displaced with Twilight's. As a result, the pleasant tingling grew positively euphoric.

I reopened my right eye a crack to try and feed information to my clouded mind, my left eye was unavailable owing to the fact that it was still buried in purple fur. The eye immediately traveled over Twilight's form. It was only then I noticed that the dress she was still wearing, instead of hiding her body, served to define it more. As the dress pressed down on her fur, it outlined the curves and ample muscles that trailed over her back and particularly those over her flanks that would've been otherwise hidden. Both my breathing and my heart rate practically jumped through the roof and my tail began swishing around with a mind of its own.

I could sense that not only was I deeply enjoying the new sensations and the possibilities thereafter, but Twilight was as well. Her eyes were shut and a smile played over her as she moved her muzzle with an increased urgency, even her breathing was speeding to match to match my own. Twilight grew more forceful and pressed forward to rest her mouth somewhere near my left ear. My ear twitched in time with her breaths and I could feel every bit of heat that came with them. Soon after that an odd scent reached my nose that I couldn't quite place but thoroughly enjoyed, and it served to further cloud my thoughts.

Right then my mind decided to point out one or two important facts, such as the fact that we were on my bed, we were lying right next to each other, and I wasn't wearing pants. Granted most ponies don't wear pants anyway, but it was still worthy enough for my brain to point out. I also noted that the bed underneath me was becoming increasingly uncomfortable to lie on. With my body still running largely on autopilot, my hooves tensed beneath me and very slowly began lifting me from the mattress. The muscles of my neck took great care to ensure that the fur over my muzzle never stopped being tickled by Twilight's.

_Whoa there, rein that in Harry,_ said the annoying little voice of reason somewhere in the back of my head. _This is not the time for that. Need I remind you about the very angry and very powerful vampire that wants you and Twilight dead? You've helped her with her problem and fixed the immediate threat. You need to get back to work._

That thought brought with it a distinct amount of clarity and the fog around my head cleared somewhat, letting the logic driven portions of my mind play catch-up. Once those bits of my consciousness woke up again, I finally got a firm grasp on the situation and what the more primal portions of my being were screaming at me to do. For a brief second I dimly wondered if it was ultimately worth ignoring reason and continuing regardless, but I conceded that the little voice was right and my time was probably better spent stopping the Red Court… probably.

I exercised no small amount of willpower to regain control over myself before my body ran away on me. I couldn't really do anything for my heartbeat, or my tail for that matter, but I managed to bring my legs back under control and my muzzle to stop questing over Twilight. I forced my legs to lower me back down to the bed and then tucked them underneath me, diligently ignoring the discomfort that provided. After several seconds of wishing I still had my old apartment's perpetually cold shower nearby, I finally managed to slow my breathing back down to a normal rate.

"Got to keep focused Dresden," I whispered to myself as I begrudgingly moved my muzzle away from Twilight. "Can't let myself get distracted, no matter how…" Twilight huffed another warm breath into my right ear as I turned my face away from her, threatening to shatter my willpower and drop me back into my previous state of mind. "Work, need to work!" I grunted under my breath, my face heating up as I fought back several distracting thoughts.

Twilight, who had evidently also been somewhat lost in her own mind, opened her eyes to search blearily for where my muzzle had disappeared to. "Wha-huh?" She shook her head and tried to collect herself. "I-I think I blacked out for a second there, what's going on?" she asked, her speech just a little slurred and her eyes just a little unfocused.

"Papers, Twilight. Papers are what are going on," I responded and levitated a small stack of the damned things onto the bed, my own speech just a little winded by my heart rate. "We still have a job to do."

"Oh, right," she mumbled. "Research." For the first time since I've known her, the librarian looked apprehensive at the prospect of looking through more raw data. It was a little funny to see the priorities shift in the normally studious mare.

I chuckled and levitated the piece of paper on the top of the stack to float in front of my face while another floated over to Twilight. Despite the definite change in mood and the new focus of attention, we never actually moved further away from each other. Our sides were still pressed against each other and my tail had calmed down to rest intertwined with Twilight's, somehow managing to work its way under her dress to do so.

We stayed like that for well over an hour. The stacks of paper and books shifted as we searched through them. The pieces that we had already gone through were stacked out of the way of the others as we stumbled across them, leaving us free to search through the other potential sources of relevant information. We barely spoke except to clarify some random historical fact or figure. It was usually me doing the asking in those instances as Twilight already had most of Equestria's history at the tip of her tongue.

After the first hour, I was already becoming irritated with the whole ordeal. Given the nature of my work I frequently have to do research in order to find the target that I'm trying to reduce to ash, but I usually have a much tighter focus and more specific resources with which to do that research. While I was given a definite subject to search for, my resources couldn't be broader. I hated having to search in the massive pile of potential information, only to find a bunch of useless data and historical facts. I couldn't help but see it as a massive waste of time that I could be spending on more interesting pursuits.

"Hey Harry," Twilight whispered, finally breaking the long quiet that had settled over the room. She levitated a book over to rest on the growing pile of uselessness, "I've been wondering something. Have you faced anything like this Red King before?"

I pursed my lips in thought as I considered the question. "Hmmm. Well sort of, yes," I said and floated a few more loose pages to sit on top of the book Twilight had just moved. "There was this necromancer I tangled with a while ago. I called him Cowl, and he had a real talent for completely ruining my day." Twilight gave a soft laugh at that. "He was performing an enormous ritual spell that would have put him on the level of a minor league god."

"How'd you beat him?" Twilight asked.

I felt a large smile spread over my face as I thought about one of my favorite bad-guy-takedowns of all time. "It's simple really. When he was in the middle of the spell, I ran up to him and smacked him in the jaw with a big ol' stick. The spell backfiring did the rest."

Twilight let out a short bark of laughter at was probably the simplest and most barbaric method ever used to defeat a dark wizard. Granted getting close enough to deliver that blow wasn't quite as simple, but she didn't need to know that. After the initial spurt of disbelieving laughter, Twilight settled down and thought about the specifics of what I described.

"If there was enough power to ascend to godhood in that spell, then…" Twilight's face contorted with anxiety as she tried to picture the result of that spell. "Sweet Celestia, what happened to him when the spell backfired?"

I shrugged my shoulders slightly. "Disintegrated, as far as I can tell," I answered back. "There's probably still a thin layer of him over the university we were at." I paused to consider Cowl's relation to the rouge Red King. "I'm pretty sure we won't be able to do anything like that here though. Cowl was seeking to absorb power by drawing in a lot of ancient spiritual beings and consuming them in one massive spell."

"While the Red King has been absorbing power a little bit at a time ever since he got here," Twilight finished, a ridge appearing between her eyes as she became lost in thought.

I levitated a particularly old and yellowed piece of paper over to me before I continued, "It certainly makes our job a whole hell of a lot harder," I commented. "With Cowl's massive spell, it was painfully obvious where he was when he started. With the Red King, it's virtually impossible to track him through his spells. That's not to mention that he already has a surplus of power from the brief time he's been here."

"We could try to track the victims," Twilight offered, her eyes shifting around in her head as she thought out loud. "If we could figure out where most of his victims are or were, then we could narrow down our search significantly." She frowned again and groaned in frustration, "But all of the other disappearances because the other vampires are going to make that difficult. Still it's something I think I'll suggest to Princess Celestia."

"You may not have to. Look at this," I said excitedly and brandished the old yellowing paper for Twilight to read.

Twilight looked at the paper and squinted, her eyes moved across its surface as she read it aloud, "Equestrian Records: Volume Eighteen, recorded by Captain Silver Shot. This documentation holds a complete record of all of the Royal Guard's accountings in the several years after the King left this world and before both of the Royal Sisters took power. Included inside are arrest records, property damage claims, and…" Her eyes widened as they traveled down the page. "And dossiers on all of Equestria's most notorious criminals of the time!" she cried excitedly. "See index for more details." She immediately hopped off my bed and began searching through the pile it had come from. "Where did you get this? Where is the book this came from?"

"I don't know," I cried back, my own excitement spiking at finally finding a tangible lead. "It was just a loose paper on the pile." I slid off my bed as well and joined Twilight in her frantic search through our pile of loose papers and books.

For several minutes we checked and double checked the covers of the thirty to forty books included in the boxes of history I had delivered to my room, but to no avail. None of the other books were anything even remotely close to that or any volume of "Equestrian Records". The closest was a hard cover book labeled, "Recorded Griffin History: Volume XV, Commander Buckbeak's Reign ".

"Damn it! It's not here," I growled through clenched teeth.

"Celestia!" Twilight cried. "Let's take the paper to her, maybe she or one of the other researchers has found it."

I nodded my head feverishly, "Yeah, sounds like a plan. Oh wait!" I stopped with my hoof still in the air as I made for the door. I glanced down at my suit jacket and began to unbutton it. "I want to grab my gear first. I think I'm a tad overdressed for an intelligence meeting."

"You want to wear your combat gear for a meeting with the Princess?" Twilight said disbelievingly.

"I wanted to wear the combat gear to Luna's party, which wasn't supposed to involve the Red King, and you saw how well that turned out," I retorted. "If I'm going somewhere to say or do anything that involves the Red Court or the new Red King in any way, I want my gear."

Twilight nodded her head once in agreement and rushed over to my storage chest. With a few flashes of purple light she withdrew her dark purple spell layered overcoat, which she had stored there several days ago, and replaced her formal gown with it by the simple expedient of teleporting the dress off and the overcoat on. From there she waited for me by the door, all four of her hooves danced impatiently beneath her. I was having significantly more trouble than she was in switching out clothes. I just couldn't seem to grasp the subtleties of undoing a button with telekinesis; I felt like a little kid trying desperately to learn how a latch or keys work. Twilight, who by this point got fed up with waiting on me to figure out a freaking button, repeated her spells by withdrawing my brown overcoat and swapped it out with my suit with a few more flashes of light.

"Come on, let's go!" she cried and resumed her shuffling at the door.

Little sparks of static danced across my fur, the result of the conflict between Twilight's spell and my natural magical aura. I shook off the odd sensation and looked around for the reason for our haste. I took the yellowed piece of parchment, carefully folded it, and placed it in an inside coat pocket. As soon as it was safely tucked away I turned towards Twilight and my bedroom door. "Alright, let's get gone."

Twilight leapt out of the door and made for the stairs at the end of the hall. Right before I left my room I floated over the little band of silver and rubies that was my shield charm from my desk and slipped it onto my horn. As soon as that was secure, I ran out of my room and slammed the door shut behind me. With our only lead to finding the Life Drinker's lost lab and hopefully the Red King tucked away in my overcoat, I put on a burst of speed and galloped after Twilight to go meet with Celestia.


	21. Chapter 21

**Flesh Masks Ch. 21**

I barreled down Canterlot Castle's stone hallways, chasing after the purple and pink tail that was almost constantly just out of sight. Because of my slight delay in getting my shield charm, Twilight had a second or two head start on me in our mad dash for Celestia's private room. She always seemed to be rounding corners just as I got into the hallway. That's all fine and dandy assuming both parties involved know where they're going, I did not. As I had never personally been there, I only had the vaguest idea of where Celestia's private chambers where. I could only assume that they'd be near Luna's chambers at the very least. As a result of all of this, Twilight's two-toned purple and pink tail vanishing around corners was my only indication that I was on the right track.

"Hells bells Twilight, slow down!" I called after her. "I'm going to get lost if you keep this up!"

As Twilight rounded the next corner, I heard her hooves slow to a near stop. I turned into the next stone hallway which brought Twilight back into full view just as I felt a painful stitch bite into me, right behind my right foreleg. I clambered next to the frantically pacing mare and stopped to catch my breath after our all-out sprint.

_Oh damn, I've been neglecting my cardio. I need to hit the tracks more._

"What's the holdup Harry?" Twilight demanded, her hooves dancing on the stone floor as I caught my breath. "You were as excited as I was to find this lead, you should be outgalloping me right now. How much coffee did you drink at Luna's party?"

"More than a little, less than enough," I responded. I lifted my head back to my full height as soon as my side stopped hurting and I could breathe normally again. "Twilight, unlike you, I didn't grow up here. I don't inherently know where everything is. Would you please slow down just a little, so I don't wind up lost." I heaved a short sigh, "With my luck, I'd probably end up back at the barracks."

Twilight nodded and continued down the hallway at a brisk trot instead of her previous all-out gallop. I hurried to catch up and then matched her pace.

"Sorry Harry," she apologized. "I just get carried away sometimes."

I shook my head and offered a small chuckle, "I know the feeling." I shot a sidelong glance at Twilight as she led me through the castle, "Now you've personally known Celestia longer than the rest of us right?"

"Well I was her personal student when I was growing up here. Aside from Luna, I'm probably closer to her than anypony," she responded. "Why?"

"Can you tell me how Celestia normally acts?"

Twilight's head tilted slightly at me, "What are you talking about? You've met her before."

I shook my head in response, "I've seen her while she's debriefing us or making some kind of sweeping statement. I mean Celestia is a ruler, and is therefore a politician. If I'm going to meet her in her private room, I figured it'd be good to know what she's like when she's not on the job."

"She's always on the job, Harry," Twilight responded. "And I've always known her to be calm and collected, no matter what situation she's in." She paused for a moment in her trotting to reconsider that. "Well… I'll admit that she tends to be less formal when in a casual environment, but she's still the same loving princess we all know."

"The first time I met her, she deep fried a captive vampire," I pointed out. "And since then she's created a miniature star that gave that same fate to a city full of the Red Court."

Twilight cocked an eyebrow at me, "Are you really complaining about that?"

I angled my head so that I was looking slightly upward and my teeth flashed in a broad smile. "No, no I'm not." My gaze lowered back down to peer at Twilight, "But I would prefer to avoid inadvertently insulting a normally friendly demigod."

Twilight flashed me a grin before refocusing her attention to the castle's hallways. "So long as you don't grow pointed teeth and try to eat us, I think you'll be fine," she said as we rounded another corner, bringing into view a large set of double doors. "Ah, we're here!"

As we drew closer, more and more details could be seen about the surprisingly ornate door. The first and foremost was that it was a set of large wooden double doors decorated with a large image of Celestia's cutie mark. The edges of the door were set in cast iron framing that worked around it in odd flowing patterns. It was likely hell for the smith that made it, then again I've never really studied metal working. On either side of the double doors were two guardsponies clad in thick golden armor, their eyes scanned over us the instant we came into view. Lastly, the closer we got to the guards and the large double doors, the warmer the air around us grew. The air next to the doors felt similar to standing directly under the noonday sun. All of this gave the act of simply walking towards the Princess's private room the feeling of approaching some kind of peaceful nirvana, or possibly Celestia's personal executioner's block.

As we reached the double door the guards nodded their permission for us to pass shortly before pulling on either side of their respective doors. The knowledge that I was nearing an obscenely powerful being's private room loomed over me like a just out of sight threat. I instinctively began drawing in a little power to satisfy my paranoia. Almost immediately after I did so however, the warming aura around the door seeped into me, soothing my tensing muscles, paranoid thoughts, and relaxed my held magic back into the environment.

The effect the architecture and the power within it was having on me got me thinking, _The White Council would probably give a lot to contract Celestia's building planners. A diplomatic meeting room that actually calms those in it would be invaluable. Then again that power could be applied for the opposite effect, like an interrogation room that drains hope._ I shuddered at that thought. _I really need to stop my analyzing about one thought earlier._

The doors to Celestia's room finally opened wide enough and Twilight and I stepped through into the room. My immediate thought upon seeing the room was that it was oddly under furnished. We stepped into a brightly colored and almost perfectly round room which held very few pieces of furniture. In the center was a very large deep purple cushion with a long yellow backing along one side. If it weren't for the back I would've classified it as a bed. As it stood, it appeared more as a large couch. A sizeable round table stood off to the side of the room with only a few small cushions lying on the ground around it to serve as seating.

There was, however, much decoration to distract from the lack of furniture. The most noticeable was the large fireplace sitting immediately opposite the couch. The fire inside the fireplace cast a wide beam of light over the entire room, eliminating the need for windows or other light sources. The walls of the room bore many small tapestries and paintings that depicted several nature scenes, varying from a brilliant sun rising over a frost tipped mountain, to a shooting star across the night sky. The several decorations and little furniture gave the room the feel of a common room or perhaps a relaxing study. Opposite the door we came in from was another, far simpler door that I assumed lead to the actual bedroom.

What drew my attention more than the room and what it was designed for were the things that very clearly normally wouldn't be there. All along the wall between the bedroom door and the fireplace were hastily made and very plain shelving that housed a large collection of books lined up in neat rows and papers that lay out in stacks at the ends of the shelves. Celestia herself was lying on the couch in the center of the room and was busily sifting through a loose pile of paper that sat on the ground next to her, and she wasn't alone either.

Three other ponies sat around the large rounded table off to our left. I could immediately identify Michael and Shining Armor, who were both still in the armor they wore to Luna's party. They were busy leaning over the table, considering whatever was on top of it. And, for whatever reason, sitting on the opposite side of the table was Pinkie Pie with a content smile plastered on her face.

The fact that Pinkie was even there wasn't quite as distracting as what she was wearing. Displaying her uncanny ability to make me completely forget about what I was supposed to be doing, she was garbed in an honest to goodness gypsy outfit. She had a deep purple turban wrapped around her head with a single red jewel sitting on her forehead and large purple feather sticking out of the top of the jewel. For accessories, she had yellow lunar earrings hanging from either ear and a purple scarf wrapped around her neck.

Upon our entry, all four ponies in the room looked up from their respective distractions to see who had walked in. Twilight and I staggered a little and then froze under the sudden gazes and the unexpected company.

"If you're busy getting your fortunes told, we can come back later," I said automatically, and with a slight nod of my head at the overly excitable mare. Pinkie snorted and began giggling uncontrollably.

Celestia offered us a slight smile and a nod before returning to the collection of papers about her forelegs.

Twilight craned her head around to seize the collar of my overcoat in her teeth and haul me forward a few more steps. Upon releasing me she gave me a short glare, "No we can't Harry." She looked back around to glance questioningly at the others. "But, what are you all doing in Celestia's room?"

"We're trying to narrow down our search area for the Red King's den," Michael offered immediately and leaned a little so that the tabletop was in easier view.

Now that I had a clear view of the table, I could see that they were huddled over a large map of Equestria. The cities and towns were the most prominent features of the map and had several lines of transport drawn between them. Outside the boundaries of the cities on the map, were a few red dots that were scattered around the landscape. I could only assume that these were supposed to be sightings of Red Court vampires.

Shining Armor got up from his cushion and approached Twilight. "Hello again, little sis," he said as he embraced his sister in a small hug. They broke away after a short second, leaving both siblings looking a bit peppier. "After that little fiasco at Luna's party, I've getting a crash course on all of the Red Court movements in Equestria. I may not be too learned in personal combat with them, but I can still recognize army patterns when I see them and…" Shining paused for a moment and cocked an eyebrow in our direction. "Are you two okay?"

I hadn't noticed it until Shining drew attention to it, but my hooves were shuffling beneath me ever so slightly. As soon as I realized that, my thoughts were unwillingly drawn to what Twilight and I almost did just a few hours earlier, and became increasingly uncomfortable given the company at the time. Beside me, Twilight was evidently having similar thoughts and was decidedly looking at anything other than her brother or myself.

My private life had always been just that; private. The sole property of myself and whoever I cared for. There were some that tried to meddle in my private life for one reason or another. Namely my half-brother who constantly tried to get me laid as a tool to get me to loosen up. Those situations usually resulted in my telling the outsider to go screw off, with Michael's advice being the only exception. But Shining was in the uncomfortable position of being both an outsider and, because of his relation to Twilight, a part of that private life. That was kind of a new one for me, as my hooves were eager to show.

I made the effort of will necessary to still my limbs and donned the best poker face I could. "It's nothing," I stated simply.

_Smooth Harry, smooth._

Shining was not fooled by my rather weak attempt at deflection and narrowed his eyes at me. After a brief second they widened as they fixated somewhere on my forehead. His eyes then darted between my head to Twilight and then back again, an odd mixture of emotions on his face.

He pointed a hoof at my head and asked, "Is that a ring on your horn?"

"Huh?" I grunted and crossed my eyes trying to look at what he was pointing at. "My shield charm? Yeah, it lets me project shields more easily. What about it?"

Shining's demeanor changed almost instantly as he put on a wide grin and pawed at the ground excitedly, not unlike Twilight when she's given a new spell to learn. "Oh you do shields? I don't really like to brag, but I'm fairly adept at shielding magic myself. Well, it is my talent after all." Shining twisted around so that I could see his star spangled shield of a cutie mark.

Twilight eagerly jumped on this excuse of a conversation change and added, "You're being too modest Shining." She gestured a hoof at her brother while beaming a proud smile at me, "Shining here held off an entire changeling army for several minutes with just one shield around the whole of Canterlot."

I felt my hind legs quiver and then give out as I fell back onto my haunches. "You held off… an entire army… with one shield," I breathlessly stammered just before my jaw went slack.

_Hells freaking bells and pony feathered pigs. Where were these guys when I was being attacked by werewolves and necromancers bent on world domination?_

"That's nothing, you should see the shields my wife can make," he said with a smirk. "She makes my shields look like driftwood hovels in comparison."

_That's it, when all this is said and done, I'm going to get lessons from these ponies. I want to be able to go for a jog while under direct mortar fire, and not have a single worry on my mind._

Twilight began laughing at my shocked expression and nudged a hoof at her brother, "Can we continue with what you were saying earlier about the Red Court, before you break Harry any further?"

Shining nodded at his sister, "Alright, alright." He turned back around and moved over to the table, with Twilight and I close behind him. "Now like I told you before, the Red Court don't seem to have spread any further north than Canterlot, so we can likely ignore that entire area," he said as he gestured a hoof at the map. "But from all of the scout reports I've looked at over the last hour or so, there aren't any clear indications of where they're held up. From what I've read, they are appearing in even forces all over the lower half of Equestria." He sighed heavily and shook his head, "I had no idea how widespread these things were."

Michael bent down to lower his head to the floor next to him, when he came back up there was a small stack of papers in his teeth. Michael set the papers on the table and pushed them towards me with a hoof. "Scout reports, our pegasi teams have been seeing vampires darting in and out of almost every forest south of Canterlot," he offered as I reached out to investigate the first few pages on top. "As widespread as they are, there is good news. It would seem that they're getting increasingly desperate in their attempts to replace their losses."

Twilight walked up next to me and scanned over the papers I had finished reading. "What do you mean by desperate?" she asked.

"Because of all the lessons that we've been spreading about the vampires, most of the established settlements have become too risky for the Red Court to continue abducting ponies there. So instead they've apparently refocused their attentions to the trade routes in-between the cities. Since we drove them from Canterlot, I've received more than a few reports of trading caravans disappearing in the night." Michael reached for and produced another piece of paper, one that had the shield of the royal guard in the upper corner. "Not only that, but they've had resort to preying on our combat trained scouting parties. There are a few reports of some pegasi patrols spotting a vampire at night and when they try to follow, they're led into an ambush."

"The majority of the time the scouts see it coming and can fly away before they're trapped." Shining bowed his head in a silent show of respect, "But some of our patrols are still vanishing from time to time out there." Shining looked back up at us and offered a small smile, "I've already issued a standing order for all scouts to perform only high altitude surveillance at night and to disengage if spotted."

It was at that moment that Pinkie's capacity for self restraint broke. A pink blur flashed around us to rest in between Twilight and Shining. The resulting shift in mass forced Shining to jump back several steps, and Twilight to fall backwards against me. "And I've been helping!" Pinkie shouted as she practically vibrated with pent up excitement. "I've been helping a lot!"

"I believe she means she's been playing messenger for me," said a soft spoken, but undeniably authoritative voice from right behind us.

Twilight and I turned to find that Celestia had finally set down her papers and joined in the conversation. Now that I could see her up close, I noticed that Celestia was looking pretty ragged around the edges. Her normally aurora mane and tail looked to be losing their vibrant colors slightly and drooped lower than normal. Even her pristine alabaster coat looked a few shades darker than normal and had a few patches of fur that stuck out in odd angles. In short, she looked like ten miles of bad road.

Twilight turned around completely and looked at her mentor with genuine concern in her eyes. "Princess, when was the last time you slept?"

Celestia gave her student a baggy eyed smile, "Coordinating the military and searching through Equestria's history demands a decent amount of time and dedication. Please do not worry about me, I have been through hard times before in my life, and I look forward to being able to go through more later." Celestia shifted her gaze until she was looking over at Pinkie, "Your friend here has been quite the helper, Twilight. I remembered from one of your letters that Pinkie Pie had an uncanny ability to see into the near future. So I summoned her to help us in the hopes that she might be able to point out where we should be focusing our attention." Celestia's nose crinkled in agitation, "But…"

"I explained that my Pinkie sense doesn't really work like she was hoping," Pinkie said as she started bouncing in her seat. "That it's just a reflex sort of thing. So I asked if there was anything else I could help with."

Celestia nodded her head and seemed to regain some of the vibrant color to her mane, "I've been using her to send my and Shining Armor's orders to where they're needed." Celestia began chuckling under her breath, "We don't even need to tell her where she's delivering it to, we just give her a name and she's off. I don't think I've had a faster messenger in all my life."

Considering where that was coming from, that was major compliment. As Celestia said that, Pinkie practically beamed and began vibrating even faster. It seemed that no matter what she was doing, just so long as she was helping in some way, Pinkie was happy. I made a mental note to be sure to set aside a few tasks for her to keep her busy.

Celestia straightened herself back to her full and considerable height. "Now then, is there a reason for this visit, or did you just want to talk?"

At those words, the entire reason for my visit to Celestia came rushing back to me. I resisted the urge to facehoof several times. "Oh right, they distracted me," I said as I waved a hoof at Michael, Shining, and Pinkie, most of whom shot indignant looks back at me. "Anyway, Twilight and I may have found a lead to finding the Life Drinker's lab."

The torn piece of paper I held in my overcoat pocket worked its way out and floated in front of Celestia. The aura around it shifted from deep red to bright yellow as Celestia took hold and unfolded it to read.

"It looks like a title page torn from one of the _Equestrian Records_ books," Twilight offered. "From the summary at the bottom, we think it could hold the information we need." Her eyes grew large as she looked hopefully up at Celestia, "Please tell me that you or one of the other researchers has found volume eighteen of the _Equestrian Records_."

Celestia's eyes finished moving down the paper around the same time Twilight finished speaking. Celestia lowered the paper and looked back around towards the makeshift shelving next to the fireplace. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she considered her recent memory.

"Possibly," Celestia muttered and swiftly moved to stand in front of the bookcase. "I know I've seen several of the _Equestrian Records_ books before, but after I spent several hours going through just two of them, I started setting them aside to look through later." Her head swept over the shelves of books and papers as she searched. "Many of the scholars found some as well and sent them to me." Celestia's ears perked up as she came to a large collection of brown hardcover books, "Ah, _Equestrian Records_ here we are. Let's see… volume ten, thirteen, forty-two, and… volume eighteen!"

Everypony there watched with interest as Celestia withdrew one of the random books from the shelves and brought it over to the table we still sat at. The book she set on the map of Equestria looked extremely ancient and cracked, much like the page that had been torn from it. The book's cover and spine were unadorned and held only the title, _Equestrian Records, Volume Eighteen_, making it an extremely vague source of information at first glance and easy to overlook.

Once set down, the book flipped open under Celestia's power and pages turned until she found the book's index. A few seconds later and we were looking at a dossier of the one responsible for the Red King's massive energy pool.

"Alias: Life Drinker. Birth name: unknown. Birth date: unknown," Twilight began reading aloud. "Unicorn mare who devised a spell that allowed her to steal the energy necessary for a pony's body to function. Details of her life prior to becoming Life Drinker are unknown. She was confronted by the royal guard and chose to die fighting rather than surrender." Twilight's nose crinkled in frustration as she read. "Nothing we didn't already know." She flipped to the next page, which bore what looked like an old map of the land around Canterlot tucked underneath another bit of text. "Aha! Here we are!" Twilight leaned forward so she could read the faint text better, "The royal guard spent many days tracking Life Drinker to a small shack at the northern edge of Whitetail Woods, as shown in the sketch below."

"Hey Twilight, wait a minute," Pinkie chirped and ceased in her excited bouncing. "Isn't Whitetail Woods where we did the Running of the Leaves thing?"

Twilight's horn began to glow as she nodded in response, "Yes, but we only ran through the parts closest to Ponyville." With a flash of purple light, a phantom copy of the map in the book appeared hovering in the air. With a little effort Twilight moved the image to superimpose itself over the map on the table. "From the looks of this, Life Drinker's lab was much further north in those woods than we've ever been."

From where I sat I could see both maps quite clearly. The two maps had very little in the way of commonality between them outside of the largest of landmarks, owing to the millennium difference between them. There were ancient towns in the conjured map that hadn't survived into the modern one. Ponyville and Manehattan were only even visible because of the transparency of the old map over the more recent one. So Twilight had aligned them on the most noticeable shared mark between them, Canterlot.

The ancient map showed a depiction of a long dotted line leaving Canterlot that trailed down to a small red X at the edge of what I assumed were the Whitetail Woods. That forest had changed over the years however. In the time since Life Drinker, the Whitetail Woods had grown to several times their original size. In the modern map, the red X was lodged deep within the woods a couple of miles east-southeast of Canterlot's walls.

"That does not matter. We now know where they are, now I can finally protect my subjects," rang Celestia's carrying voice, but with a bit more steel in it than I've heard her use in casual conversation before.

I craned my head around to catch a glimpse at her, and found a much different Celestia than before. Just minutes ago, Celestia had been smiling, kind, and radiated warmth; sure she had been run ragged with work, but she still had a serene calming aura around her that Michael wishes he could copy. The Celestia I was looking at now was focusing on the little red X on the map with a narrow eyed stare that screamed malice. The air around her grew uncomfortably hot and her rainbow mane and tail turned several shades closer to fiery orange. I was forcibly reminded of the first time I met her and the captive feral vampire down in the castle's dungeons. When I had told her that there was no hope for her former subject, she had torched the thing to cinders without a second thought. There's nothing like a gentle reminder that, under the right circumstances, Celestia could become the stuff of nightmares.

Celestia's head snapped up to face Michael. "Mr. Carpenter, send word to Dresden's battalion and to two or three extra platoons of soldiers. I want to be ready to march immediately."

Michael nodded immediately, placed a blank piece of parchment on the table, and seized a nearby pencil in his teeth to write some letter.

Shining stepped forward and bowed his head, "I'll prepare the guardsponies to march as well, Princess."

Celestia's gaze shifted at once to Shining. "No, you will remain here and organize the guards," she snapped in an authoritative tone. "I want triple the number of security around Canterlot until our return. The Red Court might try to counterattack while we're away."

My ears pricked up and twitched at those words, a certain amount of uncertainty settling in my gut. "Whoa, hang on just a minute," I interjected and frowned up at the Sun goddess. "We? Our return? You don't think you're coming with us do you?"

Celestia turned her frown onto me and her piercing gaze grew even colder. "I know I am going with you Mr. Dresden," she stated as though it were a simple fact. "Too many have been lost already to these things, and this Red King has shown no remorse or restraint to make me believe he's capable of redemption. I intend to ensure my little ponies' safety, personally."

Against my better judgment, I shook my head and continued to argue against her. "No, that's an unnecessary risk. Their forces are too spread out to do anything, and we have their leader's location; we have more than enough muscle to simply roll over him and finish this."

In the space between two heartbeats, Celestia's appearance changed dramatically. Her eyes began glowing a bright yellow and the colors of her mane and tail shifted to represent all of the different shades of orange that you would typically see in a bonfire. On top of all that, the sheer power of her concentrated will fell upon me like several dozen lead blankets, forcibly folding my legs underneath me and making it difficult to breathe.

"I AM YOUR PRINCESS AND YOU WILL FOLLOW ME!" she roared at me. Her voice was amplified several times her normal volume and caused me physical pain at such a close distance. She was perhaps not quite as loud as Luna was in her party, but it was close. "THE RED KING HAS DONE ENOUGH HARM TO MY PONIES AND I WILL SEE HIM STOPPED!"

With her power still holding me in place, I could only watch the events around me. All the other ponies in the room were looking at Celestia with varying amounts of alarm and disbelief. Twilight was looking up at her mentor with nothing short of complete shock and actually took a step back from her. Even Pinkie offered a rare moment of stillness as she gaped at the inflamed princess.

After a second or two, the invisible force holding me in place lifted and I could once again breathe properly. My muscles and joints popped loudly as I shakily stood back to my hooves and looked back up at the princess. What I saw was just as just as surprising to me as her sudden outburst was. Celestia had recoiled away from all of us, sat back on her haunches, and hid her face behind her flowing mane. Her forelegs were shaking slightly and I could hear her taking several deep calming breaths.

After a few inhales her mane resumed its usual rainbow colors and her coat brightened back to a pristine white. Her mane fell away from her face as she looked back up at us. Several lines had appeared around her face and under her eyes, making her appear as though she had aged several decades in the space of a few seconds. Her sudden shift from outburst of anger to moment of weakness was jarring enough that I was genuinely at a loss for words, which just doesn't happen to me.

"I-I apologize," she muttered, her head hanging just a little bit. "It has been a very, very long time since Equestria has been subject to trials such as these; and I fear that they bring out the worst in ponies, including me." Her face regained some youth and a sense of determination as a crease formed between her brows again. "But my subjects look to me for protection and hope. Hope that is being taken away by the Red King. His conjuration walked right through my front doors and challenged all that I am trying to hold together." Celestia's eyes narrowed a little more, "I must take personal action against him, I will protect my ponies."

At that moment my opinion of Celestia as a ruler skyrocketed, as did my trepidation for the coming hours.

Before, I had largely only spoken with Celestia on official matters; my only real experience with her outside of debriefing were the occasional second long conversations and stories from Twilight. From what little I've seen, Celestia was very much a ruler that selflessly did whatever she could for her subjects. While that was true, it didn't quite do her justice. Her emotional outburst was an instinctual reaction, not a calculated one. Celestia's ponies were more than mere subjects to her, they were her family. Once I actually considered her personal desires, on some fundamental level I just knew that Celestia's entire purpose in her extremely long life was to watch over and care for all of us.

The downside was the vulnerability that mindset entailed. Obviously Celestia was no stranger to death; she'd be used to her subjects succumbing to the effects of time that had always avoided her. What she wasn't used to, were violent deaths. I knew there had to have been many fights and violent deaths over the last thousand years, but that's not the same as the focused bloodshed war offers. Celestia had been enjoying leading Equestria through a millennium of peace and love, which had made her sensitive to the horrors of a conflict with the Red Court.

Consider some ordinary Joe who is responsible for looking after his distant cousin for a while. He may not necessarily be close to her, but she still looks up to him and depends on him for protection, and he knows it. Then that cousin trips, falls, and cracks open her head in an accident beyond Joe's control. Again, he may not have been personally close to her, but she was hurt while under his protection and the guilt of failing her would begin eating away at him. It's the kind of situation that can kick off many a downward spiral.

Now take that guilt and add to it with another body, then another, and then another. What was just one failure became a hundred, and then a thousand. That was the pain I saw in Celestia's eyes, the shame of failing those that depended on her and the anger of being unable to do more. I suspected that the only reason she was still in control of herself was a combination of her godly status, and of her desire to prevent any further harm coming to her ponies. She was going to make damn sure that the threat to those she cared for was eliminated, and I respected her for that.

What had me worried was the risk that elimination involved. As powerful as the Red King had grown, he was not a God; all of his stolen power was bound by mortal restrictions, and could therefore be overwhelmed. With the resources at my disposal it would even be relatively simple to do so. I welcomed the idea of fighting alongside someone of my own caliber like Twilight, but fighting next to someone like Celestia was a different story entirely. There was no doubt in my mind that Celestia could eradicate the Red King, but she had the kind of power that could turn me to ash with a stray thought. I didn't relish the idea of standing next to her in a high intensity situation like combat. I knew there was no way I could actually stop her, so I just had to ensure that when the fur started flying, that none of us were anywhere near her or the Red King.

I frowned a little at Celestia, but still nodded at her in a begrudging acceptance, "I would expect nothing less… Princess." I hesitated a little at her title. I'd always had a problem with authority figures stomping all over my life and in general ruining it. The only one that I ever assigned any kind of honorific to was my old mentor, and now Celestia. Her genuine concern for her subjects had earned her at least that much.

It was then that something behind Celestia caught my attention, something that was just visible out the corner of my eye. I shifted to better see it, and froze in confused shock; in the corner of the room stood a reasonably tall figure on only two legs. He was around the same height as Celestia, give or take an inch. He wore loose comfortable clothing, including a plaid shirt and denim overalls. His arms and legs looked ragged, but I knew they held deceptive strength gained from working on his farm.

_McCoy?_

As soon as I thought that, the figure vanished in a wisp of smoke, leaving behind only a whispering memories and a splitting headache.

Twilight moved past Celestia and aimed worried eyes at me, having noticed that something was off, "Harry, are you okay?"

I rubbed a hoof against my temple to dull the throbbing, "I'm fine. It's just a headache."

Around us, things were calming back down. Celestia had resumed her usual brightly colored figure that radiated calmness and serenity. Michael and Pinkie retook their seats around the table and seemed to be operating under an unspoken agreement to act like nothing happened.

Shining nodded once to Celestia and made a few steps for the door, "I'll rouse the guards and begin patrols, Princess."

"Thank you Shining," Celestia responded just before Shining closed the door behind him. Her head swiveled around to look back at Michael, who had resumed writing something on his parchment. "Mr. Carpenter, are you not going as well?"

Michael set down his pencil before he answered, "There were a few platoons I sparred with, and I want to invite them to come with us." He nodded at the pink mare next to him, "Pinkie will be able to spread my message to them a lot faster than I could." Pinkie took the compliment with a certain giddiness that just did not belong when planning military actions.

Celestia nodded her head and moved back over to her large couch, "Very well. I recommend that you all prepare yourselves as soon as possible. The next few hours will be trying, but soon this nightmare will finally be over."

Satisfied that I was physically okay, Twilight craned her head around towards her mentor, who had begun organizing and putting away the papers around her couch. "Wait, what exactly should we be preparing for?" She asked timidly, and then hastily added, "Aside from the fighting, I mean."

Instead of Celestia, Michael answered her. "You shouldn't need anything too special. We're just heading a ways into Whitetail Woods. Fluttershy and the other medics will have supplies if anypony trips over roots or anything. Aside from that, just bring some water and you'll be fine."

Once my head had gone from a splitting pain back down to a bearable ache, I set my hoof down and moved over to survey the map once again. "I'd be less worried about the environmental hazards than the strategic advantage the woods give them, Twilight." My eyes shifted over the woods between Canterlot and our destination, "If we're not careful, vampires will be dropping out of the treetops at us."

At that statement, Pinkie simply vanished from her seat on the other side of the table and reappeared right next to me. She began rubbing a hoof vigorously against the top of my head and practically pressed her cheek against mine in a motherly fashion, showing once again her complete disregard for petty little things like personal space. "Don't you worry your fuzzy little head," she crooned with another grinding of her hoof against my skull. "Your Aunt Pinkie Pie and her Pinkie Sense will protect you from those nasty little vampires."

My brain nearly exploded as I tried to consider just how many ways her title as 'Aunt' just didn't make any damn sense. Michael actually began chuckling under his breath at Pinkie's statement, which thoroughly impacted the message he was trying to write. On my other side, Twilight sighed heavily and rolled her eyes at Pinkie in a dismissive gesture, though I could still detect a little bit of tension behind her outward indifference. This was made a bit more apparent when Twilight's horn lit up and Pinkie was levitated about a foot away from me.

Operating under the assumption that Pinkie's logic just wasn't something that any normal mortal could comprehend, I faced Pinkie and began laughing a little. "You know Pinkie, for just one day, I would love to live in your little world," I commented through a wide grin. "I likely wouldn't get much done, but I probably wouldn't care all that much."

Pinkie looked back at me with an indignant frown. "What do you mean I don't get much done?" she cried out in a slightly hurt tone. "I made breakfast in the mess hall this morning, I helped Luna put together that super fun party that that mean Red King crashed, and just before that, I hit Applejack with my rock cracking hammer."

The entire room dropped what they were doing to gape at Pinkie. Even Celestia paused in putting away her papers to frown at the unnatural child of sugar and lightning.

I was the first to find my voice and managed to stammer, "I'm going to assume that means you were sparring with Applejack."

"Because if not, then we need to have a talk," Twilight finished for me.

Pinkie cocked her head to one side in confusion, "Well of course I was sparring with Applejack. Why else would I want to hit her with my hammer?"

Michael thankfully saved us from having to play the Pinkie Pie guessing game. "That will have to wait," he said after he set down his pencil and slid his parchment towards Pinkie. "I need you to take this and give it to the three captains on the bottom there. Think you can do that?"

"Of course I can, silly!" Pinkie chirped, her usual smile reappearing in an instant. "I'll just be a minute." With that said, she seized the parchment in her teeth and zipped out of the room in a pink blur.

Michael let out a sigh and craned his head back to face Twilight and I. "You two should go and round up the others and make sure they have their equipment ready." He paused for a moment to think, "Meet the rest of us in the main barracks hall as soon as you're done. I should have at least our battalion ready to march in fifteen minutes."

Twilight and I nodded in unison and left Celestia's chambers. Twilight took the lead again as we galloped off towards our rooms. The castle's stone halls breezed by as we silently moved through them, not quite at the same dead sprint as we did after we left my room, but definitely several times faster than the brisk trot we settled into after that sprint. Within a few minutes, we were back in our barracks and stood in front our friends' rooms. We both began hammering our hooves on the doors to rouse those inside.

"What's the big idea?" yelled a baggy eyed Rainbow Dash as she opened the door I was knocking on. "I was trying to get some sleep."

"Rainbow, not now," I retorted. "I need you to grab your crossbow and the rest of your gear."

"What in tarnation is going on?" asked a familiar southern drawl.

I turned around and found Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy all standing outside of their respective rooms. Fluttershy's overly frizzled mane and tail suggested that she had also just been roused from sleep. Applejack and Rarity conversely looked positively peppy and ready to go. Possibly because they were already used to late nights from their jobs back in Ponyville.

"Why do we need our equipment?" Rarity asked, her ears twitching around trying to pick up any faint noises it could. "Are we under attack again?"

Twilight stepped around Rarity and began shaking her head, "No, we finally found the information we were looking for. We found the record of Life Drinker's old lab."

Applejack's eyes grew wider as she ran through the logic train, "So that means…"

I smiled a wide vicious smile, "We're about to ruin the Red King's day."


	22. Chapter 22

**Flesh Masks Ch. 22**

"Get these things off me!" I growled through clenched teeth and bucked out into empty air.

"Dresden, hold still would ya?" Applejack yelled back at me.

"No, these things are bleeding me dry!" I cried back.

"They're just mosquitoes, Harry," Twilight sighed and calmly flicked her tail around her side, skillfully snapping a few of the offending insects out of the air. "It's hard enough for them to pierce our hide, much less our overcoats. Honestly, you act as though they're evil."

"That's because they are, dear," Rarity said with distasteful eyes tracking the bugs. "Nasty, dirty little things. I consider myself lucky that I can make them ignore me."

I craned my head around and found Rarity walking calmly behind me and to my left. She was garbed again in her black robes with lunar and gem figures sewn all around it. What stood out was the fact that she was glowing slightly with a dull blue light, and that none of the mosquitoes went within a foot of her. The trees of northern Whitetail Woods were rife with the little parasites and a large cloud of them had descended on us the second we entered the trees. A quick look around revealed the rest of our company. Twilight took a position at my immediate right and was busily scanning the surrounding trees for threats. Applejack and Pinkie Pie, both clad in their respective armors, trotted in front of the rest of us. Applejack's chained scythe was looped around her neck and Pinkie's hammer was slung across her back. Behind us, Fluttershy was pressing herself so low to the ground that she was nearly crawling as she moved to keep up with us.

All around us, stretching as far as the forest's line of sight would allow, marched the considerable number of soldiers that Celestia and Michael had picked out. The large and closely packed trees of Whitetail Woods forced all of its occupants to weave themselves around trees and over large roots, effectively destroying our ability to march in any kind of organized file. As a result, members of the different outfits that comprised our force could be seen far away from their initial groups and were mingling with others. I spotted several of my personal battalion throughout the throng, their silver pentacle emblazoned chests puffed out and on proud display. Aside from them, several of the more standard steel clad soldiers trotted with their spears pointed in the air at the treetops. Even a few of Celestia's personal guard were mingling with us near the middle of the marching force, their golden armor shining very brightly in the dark forest. Far up ahead I could dimly make out the rough outlines of Celestia and Michael at the front of the group.

I craned my head back around to face Rarity and cocked an eyebrow at her, "You think you could share that mosquito trick with the rest of us?"

Rarity turned up her nose at me, "I couldn't possibly. I must conserve my strength for later."

"And yet you have strength enough for yourself?" I growled back.

"Funny how that works out, isn't it?" she said with a faint smile.

"Will ya'll simmer down?" Applejack snapped at us, managing to break the moderate death glare I was giving Rarity. After a brief second she gave me a sidelong glance and cocked an eyebrow, "But she does raise a good point, Harry. I know we have a lot of backup here, but just how much trouble are we in for?" Applejack looked at the trees ahead with some trepidation, "Do we know how strong the Red King actually is?"

A certain amount of anxiety fell into the bottom of my stomach. Applejack's concerns were completely legitimate and echoed what my paranoia had been whispering to me since we left Canterlot. The situation we were marching into had too many unknowns for my comfort, but the prize was too big to ignore.

I sighed and followed Applejack's gaze up the trees past Celestia and Michael, "Powerful enough to make Celestia lose her cool, but he's no demigod." I flashed her a quick grin in the hopes that it would raise her spirits somewhat, "So if we can't overpower a wannabe king with a genuine immortal and a small army of Equestria's finest, then we don't deserve to win."

"W-what about his vampires?" Fluttershy stammered behind us. "What if he has a bunch of them waiting for us up ahead?"

That same question came to me as well. We had been marching slowly through the Whitetail Woods for about half an hour, and none of us had seen the leathery hide of a single Red Court vampire. The reports Michael and Shining had shown me said that the vampires had been spread across Equestria's forests in a fairly even pattern, including Whitetail Woods. But as soon as we start marching, they're suddenly nowhere to be seen. Vampires of the Red Court are extremely predatory creatures, so even if we had a larger force, there should've been the occasional opportunistic vampire hanging around the edges of our group trying to snatch an easy meal. The fact that they were nowhere to be seen disturbed me.

"We shouldn't have to worry about that too much," I said and jutted my chin towards the treetops above us. Through the occasional break in the leaves, I could make out the flapping of several different pegasus wings and hear the subtle jingle of chainmail far above us. "Rainbow and the other pegasi will be watching over us. They should be able to see any sizeable ambush long before it ever becomes a threat." I tried not to dwell too long on my choice of the word "should", and instead focused on running through all of my standard combat spells in my head.

Off to my left, Rarity was looking over the backs of several of our soldiers and into the vague darkness among the trees beyond. A small shiver ran over her body, "I wish Princess Luna was here. She could manipulate these shadows for us, maybe hide our approach."

"Don't be silly," Twilight interjected. "Princess Luna's hooves are still busy with managing the fallout from her party and helping Shining watch over Canterlot. If she didn't stay behind, Canterlot could very well be rioting by the time we get back."

"Besides, the Red Court lives in the dark. We don't need another practitioner that works in the shadows," I added and looked up ahead at Celestia and Michael, "We need some that can cast light." A faint buzzing sounded near my left ear as a mosquito hovered around it, searching out the soft and easily accessible flesh. My ear instinctively twitched and I slapped the hoof of my left foreleg over it. "That's assuming these freaking bugs leave anything behind for the Red Court to get at."

"Oh for Pete's sake," Applejack cried and swiveled her head around to look at me. "Just use your tail to swat at them, it ain't that hard."

As soon as she said that, I noticed that many of the soldiers and my friends were doing just that. Long tails of every shape and color imaginable flicked and swatted at the air beside their respective owners. I glumly cast my eyes around at my own tail of long wiry black hair that bobbed in time with the steps of my hind legs. I was hesitant to take her advice on the matter, as my experience up to that point with the extension of my spine had been less than comforting. The damned thing seemed to have a mind of its own half the time and frequently undermined my attempts at subterfuge, making my already pathetic poker face completely worthless. As soon as I figured out how, I had singled out the muscles that controlled my tail and forced them to remain as still as possible. It wasn't a perfect solution, but at least I managed to get the damn thing to stop twitching whenever I was around Twilight. That being said, I conceded that the annoyance of bloodsucking insects outweighed my tail's attitude problem.

I heaved a small sigh and stopped the mental process that kept my tail in check. To my slight surprise, the odd cluster of nerves that controlled my tail felt compliant and began flicking it back and forth, snapping mosquitoes out of the air as it did so. I considered letting the thing off its metaphorical leash more often.

"Are we there yet?" Pinkie cried and began twisting her head as far as she could manage to either side. "We've been walking forever, I'm soooo bored."

_I'd take boring over the alternative any day._

I peered around until I could single out a pony with a silver pentacle emblazoned chest piece. "Hey, come over here for a second," I called at the member of my battalion.

The battalion member heard and responded immediately, hurrying over to trot beside Rarity. The pony in question was an earth pony mare that was clad in such thick plating that rivaled Applejack's for durability. Any actual distinguishing characteristics were hidden beneath her armor; her cutie mark, mane, and even her tail were all hidden under layers of protective metal and cloth. The sole reason I could identify her as female was the fact that her open faced helmet revealed the smooth and more rounded muzzle that was iconic for a mare.

"Yes commander?" the heavily armored earth pony asked.

"I'm not familiar with these woods," I commented, "How far in are we, and how much further do we have to go?"

The soldier scrunched up her nose as she considered the question. "We shouldn't be too far from Life Drinker's old shack. We've been marching for a good while and, from what Mr. Carpenter told us, the shack is only a few miles in," she said with a quick glance ahead of the group. "So we should get there any minute now."

The tightly packed woods made marching at any pace faster than a careful trot next to impossible, especially for a large group like we were. We had been marching for almost an hour, and I felt we could've been there already if it weren't for the uncomfortably close together trees and the gnarly twisted roots growing all over the place. We already had one ambitious unicorn gallop ahead to try to scout, only to get a hoof caught under a root and face plant into the trunk of a tree. The rest of us learned from his mistake and moved with careful hoofsteps.

"Thanks," I grunted at the soldier as she trotted off to rejoin her fellows, I then turned to cast an uncertain eye to Twilight.

"Oh good," Rarity said with an unnecessary flick of her mane. "I can't wait to get out of these dreadful woods and be done with all of this horrid fighting."

Twilight noticed my meaningful look and leaned in to whisper over Rarity's daydreaming, "Harry, I know the Red Court are supposed to be spread kind of thin, but don't you think we should have run into some kind of guard by now?"

I looked ahead beyond Celestia and Michael, frowning at the apparent emptiness of the forest. "Yes, we should have," I whispered back. "This whole thing stinks and I don't like it, but the only alternative is to head back to Canterlot and do nothing."

Twilight anxiously looked around at the trees beyond our party, and sidestepped a little closer to me as we marched on. No sooner had she done that the ponies in front of us stopped short and forced us all to stop as well. A few commands and informative whispers ran through the crowd around us.

After a brief second a large unicorn stallion directly in front of us turned around to face me and said in a gruff voice, "Sir, we're here."

I peered past him at those near the front of our force. I could immediately pick out Celestia standing far taller than the ponies around her, but Michael wasn't beside her. Aside from them, I could make out a flurry of activity among the soldiers nearest Celestia, while Celestia herself did little more than a statue impersonation at the front of the group.

_We're at the Red King's supposed lair, we haven't encountered a single vampire, and now Celestia's just standing there? What in the hell is going on?_

"Move," I grunted at the stallion that gave us the news and started moving forward towards Celestia.

The stallion complied with the immediate reflex you only see in members of organized militaries. As I stepped forward, the other soldiers in my way stepped aside as well to allow us to pass. Twilight was at my side in an instant after I started moving. Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy all hesitated for a brief second, unsure if they were supposed to stay with the rest of the soldiers or follow me; but as soon as they saw Twilight moving, they fell into line behind her. The six of us made our way to the front in a matter of seconds, thanks to the soldiers giving us room to move as soon as they saw us.

The high amount of movement around Celestia didn't seem to register to the demigod; she simply stood stock still at the front of the group and stared at something in front of her. Aside from her usual regal accessories, she also wore a set of thick golden armor that made her personal guards look cheap by comparison. She was wearing a golden chest plate decorated with a sun over her chest and up around her neck. A long piece of the same metal connected to the chest piece and ran down the length of her back to hang over her sides and her cutie marks. To complete the image, a large open faced helmet with a hole for her horn was fitted over her head and tapered to a point just above her eyes. If it weren't for the fact that her mane and tail were billowing out behind her, Celestia could have been mistaken for a high quality statue of some kind of warrior goddess.

Some twenty feet in front of Celestia was what I assumed we brought several platoons of soldiers out into the forest for. What looked like the door to an old cellar lay in the ground before us, the wood of the door itself was fairly new, as though it had recently been placed there, while the frame the door was mounted in was ancient beyond belief. The stone that had been the door's frame had been largely been reduced to gravel over time. The only reason the doors were stationary at all was because the few bits of stone that still survived must have been set pretty deep in the ground.

"I really expected, I don't know, more I guess," I mumbled as I came to stand next to Celestia and got a good look at the plain looking door set in the dirt.

At that moment, a loud crunching could be heard overhead and a certain blue coated pegasus forced her way through the treetops to hover above us.

"What's the hold up? We've been in a holding pattern up there for a while now," Rainbow Dash cried with a jerk of her chin at the other pegasi above us. "Are we still moving or what?"

Twilight shot Rainbow an exasperated look, "We're here Rainbow. The map we found led us to that." Twilight pointed her hoof at the door on the ground.

Rainbow twisted around until she could see what Twilight was pointing at, and landed beside her. "That's it? It doesn't look like much."

"Maybe he's not home?" Fluttershy whispered from somewhere behind us.

"Something is," Celestia finally said in a loud carrying voice. "I don't know exactly what, but I can sense something is here."

I frowned at that and turned my attention back to the cellar door, and extended my wizard senses out over it. Evidently Celestia's ability at detecting magic was far better than my own, because my senses weren't giving me much. The very most I could detect with my senses was a faint uneasy chill around the area. The same kind of chill you might get near a graveyard, not really indicative of an evil presence but an ethereal caution light at the very least.

"Well what are we waiting for?" cried Pinkie Pie right before she bounded for the door. I motioned to stop her, but before I could do anything she was already there and extended a hoof to open it. Before she actually made contact with the cellar door, it seemingly opened of its own accord and smacked Pinkie right on the end of her nose. Michael, followed by several other ponies, made their way out of the now open underground structure and turned to address Celestia.

I snorted a little as I stifled a laugh. _Apparently we were waiting for the all clear, Pinkie._

"The building is clear, Ms.," Michael said with a slight bow to Celestia. "There are no Red Court inside."

Celestia nodded back to Michael. "Thank you Mr. Carpenter," she said with a definite step forward. "Let's see what answers we may find." Celestia stepped past Michael and quickly descended through the open door.

Michael only then seemed to notice the mass of armored pink fluff off to his side, and craned his head to cast a worried eye over the mare. "Pinkie, are you all right?" he asked calmly.

Pinkie stopped furiously rubbing her snout between her forelegs and got back to her hooves. "I'm fine, it's not the first time something has smashed my face," she responded cheerfully. Then, without feeling the need to clarify her last statement, Pinkie giddily followed after Celestia and pranced down into the hidden structure.

Following Pinkie's lead, the others around me began carefully making their way afterCelestia as well. Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity, and Fluttershy all made their way down the stairs behind the cellar door with much more trepidation than Pinkie had. Twilight was halfway to the door as well before she realized that I wasn't next to her. Her head craned around until she spotted me still standing next to Michael.

"Harry, aren't you coming too?" she asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.

"Uh, yeah I'm right there," I muttered under my breath, but my hooves remained where they were and my head craned around to face Michael. "You'll be watching our backs big guy?"

Michael smiled and cast his gaze over the soldiers that were behind us, "One step ahead of you, Dresden."

Only then did I notice that the activity that had been initially focused on those nearest the front of the group had spread to almost the whole force as orders were passed around. Every armed and armored pony present moved forward and split to form a solid ring around Life Drinker's lab. As the length of our stay was at that moment uncertain, many of the soldiers began construction of rudimentary barricades and otherwise creating a more defensible perimeter around us. The few medics we had brought along set up shop

"We'll make sure you don't have any unfriendly visitors," Michael said confidently. "You should go ahead and get going; investigating is kind of your thing after all."

I smirked, turned around, and began moving towards the wide open cellar doors, putting a little extra step in my silver pentacle marked flank than was strictly necessary, "And here I thought my talent was my magic."

"That's open to interpretation," Twilight muttered in an aggravated tone of voice. "Now will you come on? The rest of them are already down there," she cried with a few more gestures towards the door.

I sighed and rolled my eyes at the mare, but didn't dare to actually contradict her; partially because I knew that I was lagging behind, and largely because I knew she could easily make me regret such an action. I smiled and wordlessly made my way down the stairs, with Twilight close behind.

Life Drinker's old home was, for lack of a better term, overly simple. The layout was essentially a single semi-large room and one smaller side room that could have served as either kitchen or a bedroom. I could very easily imagine rows of bookshelves along the walls and a large cushion or couch in the center, back when it was new. Odd feelings of nostalgia arose as I noted the basic layout wasn't too dissimilar from my Chicago apartment. But all the furnishings that had been, had long since decayed. All that remained were several piles of dust and wood chips that used to be shelves, and several piles of rolled cloth that served as ragged bedding for multiple occupants.

_Well, at least we know something's been here,_ I thought to myself as I surveyed what little there was inside.

Celestia stood near the center of the room, inspecting one of the larger beds. The rest of my friends all stood, or flew in Rainbow's case, in random spots throughout the room, similarly searching it for any useful information.

"There's nothing here!" Rainbow cried out and threw her hooves into the air, frustration clear on her face. "We come all the way down here to throw down with the Red King, and all we get are a bunch of dusty old rags!" She finishes the statement by kicking one of said beds with a fore leg, causing copious amounts of dust to blow back into her face. Fighting back the resulting coughing fits, she manages to choke out, "What gives?"

Twilight stepped past me and peered around the room, her eyes narrowing in concentration. "Princess, are you sure we're at the right place?" Twilight asked as she inspected one of the bed rolls. "Because Rainbow's right, if the Red King stayed here, studied here, and learned some powerful spell here, then there should be something here other than a bunch of beds." She craned her head around to look back at her mentor, "I may be a fast learner when it comes to new forms of magic, but I still have to write notes, practice, and in general make some mess. I assume the Red King would too."

Celestia considered that for a moment and then nodded in agreement, "That is a logical argument, but this is Life Drinker's old hideout, I am sure of it." Her head twisted around and her ears swiveled in every direction as though searching for some faint sound, "And what's more, I can still sense that something's here. I just don't know where."

"The subbasement," my mouth said automatically, before I could even begin to think why that would make sense. Questioning faces and quirked eyes assaulted me as everypony turned to face me. I met the gazes and sighed before I continued on my hunch, "Just go with me on this. Search for a trapdoor, or something that would lead to a room below this one."

Celestia nodded while the others mumbled their respective affirmatives. All the makeshift beds were surrounded by a bright yellow glow and floated into the air as Celestia cleared them off the floor for us. I stepped further into the room and helped search for a hidden door while Celestia cleared the way and provided light.

Within a minute, Rarity called out over her shoulder from the room's far corner, "Over here, it's over here!" The bedrolls all floated to the corner opposite Rarity and stacked themselves as we each made our way over to Rarity. A large section of the floor glowed Rarity's light blue and opened itself up to lean against the nearby wall, revealing an opening to some stairs large enough to let even Celestia pass through with a little maneuvering. "Harry, how ever did you know this was here?" Rarity asked, vague whispers of accusation sounded in her voice.

I shuffled uncomfortably and rubbed a hoof at my neck, "I may have had something similar setup in my old apartment."

"May have?" Applejack commented somewhere behind me, the tone of her voice hinting that she knew I wasn't being wholly truthful.

"Alright it's the exact same setup, but come on, it's practical. It kept my work space separate from my personal space," I retorted before taking a tentative step down the stairs. "Now, if you don't mind, we still have work to do." Applejack gave a weary chuckle as she and the others followed me down the staircase and into subbasement. Celestia took up the rear and had to duck her head pretty low to clear the entryway without bumping against something.

The instant I set a hoof in the subbasement, I realized what it was that Celestia had sensed. The entire subbasement was practically swimming in dark energy, the kind of latent energy that worms its way into your head and causes irrational fear and paranoia over time. The air was so thick with the power that I couldn't understand how I hadn't noticed it upstairs, that was until I noticed the ceiling. On the subbasement's roof were several small wards that shone with a faint black glow that reminded me of the Red King's black telekinetic grip around my throat. My gut told me that they were simple wards meant to contain the energy of the subbasement, so as to make it harder to find by a passing unicorn or some other scout.

The subbasement was similar to the main room in that it was, more or less, a large square room. The center of the room was clear of any clutter, but the wall opposite the stairs bore simple shelving and a small desk that was covered in crumpled, torn, and yellowed pieces of paper.

Behind me, the others felt the sudden change in energies as well. As we left the stairs and spread out into the room, Twilight and Rarity were both looking severely uneasy and looked around the room, as though searching for a physical representation of the source of their apprehension. Even Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow could notice the definite shift in latent energies, despite not having magical senses themselves. Pinkie especially grew increasingly nervous the further she moved into the room.

"I don't like this place," she said quietly, almost on the same level of Fluttershy's whispers.

Applejack took a step forward towards the desk of papers. "What is this place? Something about it is sending a chill down my spine."

"This must be where the Red King learned Life Drinker's spell," Celestia calmly stated as she moved to the center of the room. "What you are feeling is the corruption such a spell leaves on a place when performed several times." She looked around and offered us all a warm smile. "Do not worry. So long as you remain vigilant in your thoughts, it cannot harm you."

I'm not entirely sure what it was, but something about Celestia's calm yet authoritative voice had a powerful calming effect on us all, much more potent than Michael ever managed. Feeling several times more confident, we took to our task of scouring the room for clues. Before I could take more than a step or two, I felt Twilight place the hoof of a foreleg on my shoulder.

"Harry," Twilight whispered and pulled at me.

"What's up? Something wro-" My voice caught in my throat as Twilight finished turning me around, and I saw what caught her attention. Back in the corner of the room, behind the stairs we came down, was the still form of one of Canterlot's pegasus Royal Guard.

I immediately rushed forward towards the guard, hoping against hope that he was still alive. My shield charm began glowing a dull red just in case of a repeat of the vampire hostage play from Manehattan. The guard remained motionless when I reached him and I placed an ear to his chest, looking for some sign of life. I wasn't so lucky.

I stomped a hoof into the hard floor, sending a loud reverberating note through the room. "Damn it, he's already gone," I growled through clenched teeth. The mares behind me let out a few soft sighs, and a whimper I was pretty sure came from Fluttershy. No matter how much hardship you go through it's never fun being near a dead body, and I wanted to limit their exposure to it if at all possible. I shifted myself slightly so that the bulk of my body was blocking their line of sight to the body. "You girls keeping looking, I'll take care of this."

I felt, rather than heard them thankfully shift their attention to other parts of the room. My ears pivoted around to try and gauge their proximity as I stared intently at the guard. Once I was sure nopony was nearby, I took a step back and ran through the mental preparation necessary to separate myself from my emotions. If I was going to notice any important details, I needed to be able to look at the body without any sense of attachment. He had to simply be a piece of flesh and bone, not the remains of a former comrade.

I took a steadying breath and reconsidered the body. He showed no signs of serious external injuries, a few cuts and bruises from being restrained but nothing that would cause death. Going off that, I extended my wizard senses over him to confirm what I had suspected. His body was completely devoid of all forms of magic. Where there should have been at least some residual flashes of fear or desperation over the body, there was just emptiness.

_Just like in Manehattan…_

I extended a hoof to touch one of his forelegs and moved it experimentally. It moved completely unrestricted, his flesh hadn't decayed or even begun to calcify yet. On top of that, the barrel of his body was still giving of the slightest bit of warmth.

"Well, I've got some good news at least," I called out as I stepped away from the body and turned around to face my friends again, most of whom were around the desk on the opposite side of the room. They all looked look from what they were doing and shot inquisitive looks at me, every single one of their gazes decidedly avoiding the body behind me. "That was definitely the Red King's work," I said with the smallest of nudges at the soldier. "He was drained of energy just like the ones we found in Manehattan."

"Another pony is dead because of the vampires," Rainbow Dash growled at me. "How is this good news?"

"Because it's work that he only just finished," I added, receiving another aggravated glare from the rainbow maned pegasus. "His body hasn't begun rigor mortis yet. Heck, it isn't even cold yet. The Red King was just here." I turned my gaze up to Celestia, being real careful to avoid direct eye contact, "I'd say we missed him by one, maybe two hours at the very most."

From Celestia's opposite side, Twilight took a step forward and addressed her with furrowed brows, "Princess, if he only just left, then he could still be nearby."

"Agreed," Celestia said with a nod of her head and got up from her seat near the desk. "I'll tell the pegasi to fan out immediately and search for any signs of-"

"Oh my, Sir, you don't look too good," whispered a soft voice from somewhere behind Twilight.

We all simultaneously turned to find the voice, and found Fluttershy inspecting something in the corner of the room furthest from the staircase. The thing she was looking over was a medium sized earth pony stallion that almost certainly hadn't been there a minute before. The stallion looked to be a wreck, he was extremely thin as though malnourished, and his dark green coat didn't help to hide the mess of blood that ran down the right side of his neck. All of this was second to the expression on his face. His attention wasn't on Fluttershy, or on any of us for that matter, rather his eyes seemed transfixed on something that loomed over him, as though he was seeing something we weren't.

"Don't worry, you're safe now," Fluttershy whispered as she drew closer to the stallion, evidently forgetting that he had appeared out of nowhere. She withdrew a roll of bandages from one of the pockets in her medic coat and held it in her outstretched wing, "Let me take a look at that cut for you. I'll make you feel all better."

"Fluttershy! No don't-" I cried and waved a foreleg at her.

Before my words could register with her, she had already brought her wings to the stallion's neck. As soon as one of the feathery appendages touched him, he vanished into a cloud of shimmering vapors that quickly dispersed into the air. Fluttershy very quickly backpedaled several steps and stared nonplussed at where the stallion had been just seconds before.

"Okay, you all saw that right?" Rainbow asked, glancing around at each of us in turn. "Or have I just gone off the deep end?"

"No, I saw it," Twilight responded as she stepped a little closer to Fluttershy, who had gone very pale. "Still working on believing it, but I saw it. What was that?"

I frowned in concentration and extended my senses out towards the space where the stallion had been. For the most part, there was just the empty air and the lingering sensation of wrongness that the Red King had created. After a brief second though, I felt it. I sensed a lingering presence near the spot the stallion had been; it didn't feel as complex as the aura that surrounded most other ponies, but it was still there. Knowing that, it could only have been one thing.

"A spirit," I muttered aloud to no one in particular.

Celestia's eyes shot open and looked at me with a certain amount of bewilderment, "A spirit? A lingering spirit?" Her eyes grew heavier as she glanced back at where the spirit had been, "Oh, that poor creature."

Clearly feeling agitated at being left out of the loop, Twilight took a decisive step forward and looked expectantly between Celestia and myself, "What are you talking about? You two have never told me anything about spirits."

"Because they were supposed to be rare to the point of nonexistent," Celestia offered to placate her student. "When a pony dies, sometimes their souls leave an imprint of themselves in this world. That imprint is a spirit. It has the pony's memories and emotions, but it's more or less just a left over copy of that pony."

"So why are they so rare?" Rarity asked. "Ponies die all the time. It's sad, but it's a fact of life."

Instead of Celestia, I stepped forward to answer her, "Because, in order to create a spirit the pony usually has to be feeling some extreme emotion when they die. The most common triggers are the extreme fear or anger involved with a violent death. And, until recently, Equestria hasn't really had that many depraved lunatics committing mass slaughter." I ignored their winces at my choice of words and redirected my attention to the spirit still lingering in the corner of the room, a certain piece of information not quite fitting with this new revelation. "But how was it made? I could have sworn that the Red King's spell would…" I gritted my teeth, and tried to ignore my growing headache. Trying to figure out the reasoning behind ghosts is like pulling teeth. "Ugh, I hate dealing with spirits."

At that point several things began happening, and none of them were good. The spirit I was scrutinizing with my wizarding senses shifted and began drawing away into the wall. Just before the thing faded away completely, I felt a powerful emotion grip the ghost, fear. The former pony was terrified of something nearby. While searching for what had scared the thing, I finally noticed that the latent energies of the Red King's magic were moving.

Panicking slightly, I redirected all of my attention to the air around us and began piecing things together. The directionless nervousness had been a byproduct of whatever magic the Red King had been practicing, but now there was some guiding force of focused intent causing the energies to shift into forms my eyes couldn't see. I tried to single out a strand of the energy, but the sheer volume in the room and their swirling actions made it next to impossible. The only thing I could discern was that what was shifting the energies was no ward or magical tripwire, there was a conscious mind in that power. The Red King was exerting his power into the room around us.

Celestia frowned deeply and her eyes wandered around the room as she undoubtedly felt the same thing I had. Twilight, Rarity, and even Pinkie also sensed that something was wrong and took a few unconscious steps away from the center of the room.

"I feel funny, and not a good funny," Pinkie said with a nervous twitch that ran down the length of her body.

When in a situation where your enemy has had time to prepare and control the environment, there is really only one thing you can do to avoid a disastrous outcome.

"We need to leave this room, now!" I shouted and pivoted on the spot towards the stairs.

The energies surged in response and became a visible blast of dark energy that slammed the trapdoor shut and enveloped it entirely.

"What in the hay?" Applejack cried out while taking a step backwards. "What was that?"

With our only method of escape blocked off, I spun back around and reached for the next best option in defense against enemy magic. "Get under a shield!" I shouted as I rammed power into my shield charm.

Twilight, on the other side of the room and well out of easy reach, primed her horn as well as she readied her own shield. The others, incapable of making stalwart shields, galloped to whichever of us was closer. Rarity and Rainbow flashed towards me and managed to get next to me just as a red dome of energy closed around us. Across the room, Applejack, Pinkie, and Fluttershy all crowded around Twilight, moments before a purple copy of my dome appeared around them. Celestia stood in the dead center of the subbasement, glaring defiantly all around her and began to glow a bright white.

The energies in the room rapidly coalesced and formed into swirling darkness, much like a small tornado of shadows, centered on Celestia in the middle of the subbasement. As they swirled, the darkness blanketed everything they touched, the walls, the floors, and our shields. The stress on my shield doubled and redoubled as it became covered and obstructed my view of what was happening outside. Beside me Rarity's diamond knives hovered in the air as she stared, wide-eyed at the growing darkness. Just as my shield became completely blanketed, a bright light shone through the shadows as Celestia brought forth her power to combat it.

Whatever she was doing seemed to be working, the light emanating from Celestia's horn appeared to be making the swirling darkness slide off of us. The darkness reacted to Celestia's light by condensing and slugging towards the floor, like a cloud condensing to form water. The dark energy drooped low enough that I could again clearly see the others. Twilight, and those under her shield, peered around the room nervously, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Harry, are you okay?" Twilight cried, her voice slightly distorted through her shield.

"I'm fine," I called back. "Though if you have any ideas, I'm open to them."

"Do nothing!" Celestia instructed, her face screwed up in concentration. "Stay under your shields. I will banish this evil."

The light emanating from her horn intensified until it shone with the intensity of a lighthouse. Light of that magnitude is something that you really don't want to experience at only a few feet away from the source, and I doubted my retinas would ever be the same. As painful as her light was on my eyes, it did worse to the dense shadows. I sensed the dark energy get forced lower and lower to the ground until it was little more than an extremely dense dark sheet on the ground. Mere seconds later, Celestia forced the energy into ground completely and it faded from my senses.

With the power gone, Celestia's light dissipated until the room was normal once again. We remained silent and absolutely still in the aftermath. Both Twilight and I held our respective shields in case of some resurging power. Behind my shield, I began to laugh irrationally, the adrenaline of the sudden scare coursing through me and making me giddy. A few of the others, including Twilight and Pinkie, laughed as well, albeit much more reserved than my sanity questioning outburst.

_Was that the Red King's idea of a trap? To simply smoother us in dark energy?_ I thought to myself. _Not a bad idea for some ordinary practitioner, but good luck overpowering a demigod._

That was of course when the second stage of the Red King's trap was triggered.

There was a short surge in energy in the ground beneath our hooves, and an instant later the ground beneath Celestia exploded upward in a wave of extremely concentrated dark power. The compressed energy was given its final form and purpose by the Red King's magic and willpower. The ground all around Celestia was a several inch thick pool of dark magic that rose up to cover her hooves. At the edges of the circle were about a dozen huge conjured tendrils, each one of which was tall enough to reach the ceiling and was at least six inches thick. I suddenly had the uncomfortable feeling that I was about to reduced to a red smear on the ground.

One of those tendrils whirled around and brought its full force to bear against my shield. I only managed to reorganize my thoughts and bring my shield back to full strength the moment before it contacted, and if I hadn't I probably would've been made into that red smear. The strength behind that one blow was something similar to being hit by a small car or one of those golden chariots, and nearly drove the breath out of me as some of it bled through the dome. Across the room, Twilight was in a similar situation, bracing and reinforcing her purple dome against her own attacker.

In the center of the room, Celestia fared far worse than the rest of us. The remaining tendrils all simply wrapped themselves around her, forcing all of their considerable weight and strength on her in an attempt to get her to buckle under them. Celestia immediately ran power into her horn again and emanated that same bright light as before. I could feel the tendrils flinch away from her slightly as she charged her horn, that was until another dark appendage snaked out from below her. This new, and much thinner tendril, shot towards Celestia's face and wrapped itself around her horn. Almost immediately the light she held died. Any power she tried to bring forth went into her horn, and was then channeled through the attacker wrapped around her horn and funneled into the ground. Celestia was made completely powerless and at the mercy of the tendrils still holding her.

"No!" I shouted and began drawing together energy for an attack I hoped would free Celestia.

The moment I shifted energy from my shield the conjuration attacking me slammed down again, almost breaking the red dome and forced my forelegs to fold beneath me. The opportunistic attack left me aching all over and breathing heavy ragged breaths. I gave up on any kind of offensive and refocused my power into my shield.

One last surge of energy ran through the cloud at Celestia's hooves, and she slowly began sinking down into it. The energy around the odd cloud was not dissimilar to the residual energy I felt after Twilight teleported me. Stripped of her ability to fight back magically, and overpowered with physical force, the tendrils constricted tighter around Celestia and drew her down faster into the dark portal beneath her.

"Dresden, let me out of this thing! We have to help the Princess!" Rainbow shouted as she hovered just above me.

My attacker punctuated her comment by hammering into us again, causing sweat to break out across my face and made me groan in pain.

"Rainbow, look at him!" Rarity shouted. "Without the shield he'll be crushed, us too most likely."

Celestia was struggling desperately against her captors, about half of her body was already beneath the pool of shadows.

Rainbow redirected her attention to the dome of purple energy across the room, "Twilight, you've gotta do something! Anything!"

"Too… strong…" she panted from behind her shield.

Her attacker landed another blow against her shield. A weaving network of cracks appeared on her dome, around the point of impact, and quickly began repairing itself as Twilight poured more energy into her shield. The only reason she was still standing was that Applejack was at her side supporting her. Twilight cried out in pain as she endured another hammering blow, and the network of cracks spread further.

"Twilight!" I yelled through a hoarse throat. "If you let a big tentacle thing kill you, I will tell everypony that you failed as a student!"

I'm not entirely sure if it was me or her desire to protect her friends that got her to grit her teeth, but either way Twilight scowled back up at the tendril attacking her and refocused her shield around her. The look of righteous fury on her features made it clear that she wanted very much to rush to the aid of her mentor. If it weren't for the fact that she'd be condemning three of her best friends in the process, she probably would have leapt into center of the mess to help Celestia, her personal safety be damned. As it was, she could only restore the shield around her and her friends back to full strength.

I shifted my attention back to Celestia, and was shocked to see that only her head and neck were still exposed. Cold panic gripped me as I stared at her slowly vanishing before my eyes and tried to think of anything that might free Celestia without endangering my friends. Absolutely nothing came to mind and I could only watch her sink even more into the portal.

Celestia let out a single resounding yell as the shadows of the portal closed over her face and consumed her.

"Princess!" cried each of the mares around the room.

The tendrils that were attacking Twilight and I folded back and dived into the portal after Celestia. The shadows immediately began dispersing and the circle rapidly shrank. As soon as my attacker let up, I dropped my shield and bounded forward at the remaining dark energy. With a single powerful leap, I almost soared to the spot Celestia had been at moments before. My hooves made a loud clang as they landed on the stone of the subbasement floor, the last of the shadows dispersed into the air around me.

"No… No no no," I chanted and began furiously digging my forelegs at the ground, as though our single greatest weapon again the Red Court had simply been buried beneath me instead of dragged through a portal to God knows where.

As I dug, several disparate facts came together and clicked in my mind. The Red King had branched off from his main force when he attacked Canterlot, but wasn't trying to outflank our defense. Why? He made an appearance in Canterlot Castle with an offer of mercy, even though he was the one in hiding. Why?

Because of Celestia.

This entire thing, from beginning to end, was about Celestia. His initial attack on Canterlot was a first brute force attempt to capture her. When that failed, he fell back and set up a trap for her. He knew that we found the bodies in Manehattan, and that there was only one unicorn that ever managed to piece together the spell that he used on them. He assumed that we had the information that would lead to the Life Drinker's lab and set the trap there. When we took too long in our search for the information, he made an appearance, knowing that it would infuriate Celestia to have him terrifying her ponies.

The Red King was making the ultimate power play. He was trying to accomplish what Cowl couldn't. He was going to make himself into a god, by consuming Celestia. He practically screamed it at me back in Canterlot, "We will take this world and I will be like a god!" and we just delivered Celestia to him on a silver platter.

I only stopped digging when a hoof touched on the back of my neck. I looked up to see a ragged Twilight staring directly into my eyes, her own were heavy and wet with running tears. I wordlessly pressed forward and wrapped my forelegs around Twilight as she did the same to me. She buried her face into my neck and silently cried while I desperately tried to get my mind to start working again.

The others stepped forward and made a semicircle around us. Varying degrees of fear and disbelief were spread across their faces. Applejack and Rarity stared at the floor in stunned silence. Pinkie began tearing up and hid her face behind her forelegs. Rainbow stood slightly apart from the rest of us, her jaw clenched tightly and her forelegs shook as she focused on the spot where Celestia had disappeared.

Fluttershy stepped up behind Twilight and looked up at me, complete and utter shock turning her face into an emotionless mask. "Harry, w-what do we do now?" she asked breathlessly. "What are we supposed to do?"

I stared back at her, my mind going a mile a minute as I tried to think of an answer. "I don't know," I answered in an equally breathless tone. "I don't know."


	23. Chapter 23

**Flesh Masks Ch. 23**

Rushing wind blew our collective manes and tails around violently as our emergency chariot soared nearer to Canterlot Castle. The sense of protection offered by the castle's large stone walls did little to slow my rapidly pounding heart. Michael and the soldiers marched far below, heading back to the castle as well and carried with them the few papers we found in the Red King's test lab.

Twilight nudged her hoof against my side as I stared off into the night sky, "Harry, I can see something running through your head. Do you have a plan?"

I shook my head clear of the myriad of loose ideas that ran through it and peered back at Twilight. "Not really, no," I muttered bluntly. "What I have are a set of goals and a few ideas born of desperation. To stop the Red King, we need to find Celestia." I shifted my attention back to the castle that was rapidly growing nearer. "To find Celestia, we need Luna."

Our chariot bounced and bucked wildly as the pegasi pulling it touched down in front of the castle. Twilight, her friends, and I all immediately jumped out of the transport and galloped towards the castle.

"Rarity," I called over my back at her. "You're studying under Luna, where would she be right now?"

"This late at night, she'd be in her room," Rarity answered at once.

Without a further word, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rainbow, and I charged forth through the castle gates, leaving a trail of very confused looking guards in our wake. The only sounds that we made were the carrying stomps of our hooves as we charged through the castle and followed the path I remembered from when I dropped Rarity off for her first lesson. In a matter of a few minutes, Luna's chamber door came into view and I broadsided the door open as I slammed into it. Grateful that Luna's usual guards were on the castle walls instead of her door, we hastily proceeded into the room.

Across the room Luna sat hunched over her desk, scrutinizing what seemed to be a map of the area immediately around Canterlot. However, the moment we burst through her bedroom door, Luna jumped backwards from the cushion at her desk to land in a low crouch that covered most of her neck and flared her wings out above her. Her horn began glowing a dark blue and the temperature of the room dropped considerably.

"Who to dares barge into my quarters?" Luna roared at us.

I skidded to a halt in front her and felt the several mares just behind me do the same as they slid to crash into my back. Luna blinked a few times as she took in the odd sight of the pile-o-ponies trying to disentangle themselves from one another. Once it clicked who was in her room, she relaxed back into a more casual stance.

"Oh, hello…" Luna murmured as she folded her wings back against her body. "I wasn't expecting to see any of you for a few more hours at least." Her eyes opened wider and she peered at Pinkie and Fluttershy, both of whom had shifted slightly apart from the group and were trying their best to not look at anything or anypony. "What has happened? Is the Red King no more?" Luna asked, a hint of trepidation hanging in her voice.

Rarity stepped passed me to address the princess and bowed a little before speaking. "Princess, something terrible has happened."

"It's Princess Celestia, she's been taken by some crazy magic like I've never seen," Applejack added before Luna could interrupt.

"What!?" Luna spat, her eyes instantly going very wide, giving her a hysterical look. "Taken? What do you mean she was taken? What has happened to my sister?"

"She was trapped in something that grounded out her magic," Twilight explained, her voice laced with the slightest notes of panic. "I don't know how he did it, but the Red King left a trap that nearly killed us, and dragged Celestia through some kind of portal. We have no idea where she is now."

"Before we do anything else, we need to try a tracking spell," I interjected with an intense gaze at the Princess of the Night. "And we need your help to do it."

"Why would you…" Luna muttered under her breath, her brows furrowing as she thought. Almost instantly she realized what I meant and her eyes widened as a result. "Of course, you need my blood."

"Whoa wait a minute, we need what?" Rainbow asked, her gaze shifting from Luna to Twilight and then to me as she searched for an answer.

I sighed and shifted my hooves, "Her blood, I want to use Luna's blood in a tracking spell for Celestia."

"Actually I'm a little lost there too," Twilight interjected. "I know a tracking spell works by taking a piece of something, creating a link from the smaller piece to the source, and then you just follow that link right? Then wouldn't Luna's blood just point us towards Luna?"

I craned my head around until I was looking into Twilight's eyes. "Normally yes, but depending on the circumstances, you can create a link with more than just the source material." I waved a hoof vaguely in Luna's direction. "Celestia and Luna share blood, but more than that, they share a sisterly bond forged over who knows how many lifetimes. We can use that bond to have Luna's blood seek out its counterpart." I pivoted back around to face Luna, "I assume that you have no reservations with…"

Once I looked back at Luna, I saw that she had already seized a small knife that had been lying on her desk and had driven it into the joint where her left foreleg met her body. She withdrew the now bloodied knife from her hide and pressed a small glass vial against the wound, allowing a sizeable trickle of blood to fill the vial in a matter of seconds.

"Well I suppose that answers that question," I commented as Luna held the glass of crimson liquid before her and repaired the cut with a small flash of blue light.

I was about to step forward and prep the patented tracking spell I had perfected over a few years of investigating, tracking down baddies, and searching for lost puppies, but Luna was already several steps ahead of me. A cylindrical metal framework and a small length of string flew from odd corners of the room and converged on the vial of blood. The hollow frame hovered with the vial in its center and the string wrapped itself around the corked opening and the top of the frame, creating a stand for the vial that let it hang loosely in the air.

Luna took this stand and set it down on the desk to the side of her room. She wasted no time in channeling her intent into her own version of a tracking spell. Her face screwed up in concentration as she focused on the suspended vial and poured energy into her horn, causing it to glow an almost blindingly bright blue. Once she held the spell ready, Luna stepped forward to lightly touch her horn to the stand and release the pent up power into it. Luna stepped away just as the crimson vial began glowing blue and swung around in a circle within its mount.

We all watched with bated breath as the spell sought out Luna's counterpart. Luna glared at the vial as though it was the thing responsible for her sister's disappearance, while Twilight and Rarity both stared at it as though it were their only lifeline. I frowned at the bottle, already forming battle strategies in the back of my head. The others merely watched it with a sense of unease, unsure of what exactly was happening.

The little vial spun around so fast that it was nearly a blur in the air, until it flashed one last burst of blue light and abruptly stopped. The subject of the tracking spell waved limply back and forth on its string before coming to a standstill, completely unaffected by Luna's magic. The tracking spell had failed.

"Now I'm no unicorn, but that doesn't look right," Applejack muttered, breaking the silence that fell after the failed spell.

Luna's eyes widened in sudden fear, "No, no it's not…"

"Damn it, she must be inside an empowered circle already," I said immediately, my mind jumping to the explanation I disliked the least. "No tracking spell is going to connect through that, no matter how powerful."

"Harry…" whispered Twilight, her voice cracking a little. "What if… What if there's nothing to connect to?"

"You don't think…?" Rarity began, but couldn't finish the thought.

I stomped a hoof into the ground and shouted, "No!" Everypony there turned shocked faces to me; even Luna, slightly more disconnected from the conversation than the others, turned wide eyes on me. "She's not dead! The Red King still needs to break her mind before he can steal her power, and I refuse to believe she could fall so quickly!"

Several uncomfortable seconds passed as the mares processed what I had said and each began to look a bit more hopeful. Luna grimaced but nodded as she wheeled back around at the focus of her failed tracking spell, and once again touched her horn to the vial of blood. The little bottle in the center began glowing a deep blue again, and instead of immediately dimming as I had expected, it continued to glow with Luna's magic.

Luna turned back to face us with a look of ironed determination on her face, "If whatever magic is hiding my sister falls, for whatever reason, this will let us know and will guide us to her." Luna's gaze shifted from looking over all of us, to focusing on her cold and very angry eyes on me. "But we will not simply wait for that to happen. I trust that your expedition has yielded something of use?"

My voice died in my throat as Luna's icy glare pierced me to my very soul. I gulped several times and tried to ignore the beads of sweat forming on my forehead as I made damn sure I wasn't in direct eye contact with her. What Luna was going through was something I didn't really want to consider for too long. Her kindhearted, powerful, and ever-present older sister, who had always been there to watch over her and their kingdom, had suddenly been ripped away. For a normal mind, the sudden lack of a dependable presence would be jarring enough; but for the mind of an immortal, especially one that had been so closely bounded to the presence in question, it would be earth shattering, possibly literally. That and the fact that I was the one who had found the clue which ultimately lead Celestia to the Red King's trap, meant I was having serious second thoughts about barging into Luna's room.

_Just don't make eye contact, Harry. She can sense fear._

Thankfully, Twilight stepped forward to come to my rescue and draw Luna's gaze off me. "Actually, Princess, we did find something," she said confidently, but I could still notice the slight waver in Twilight's tone as Luna refocused onto her. "When we found the lab, there was… evidence that the Red King had only just left." Twilight hesitated as she tried not to dwell on the fresh body we found that supported her claim. "We think that he fled shortly before we arrived, and he left behind several pages worth of notes and plans. These papers could show us where he took Celestia."

At that precise moment, somepony knocked at the door to Luna's bedroom just before they opened it and a guardspony stepped through. The guard rushed forward and bowed to the dark colored princess before speaking.

"Princess, the soldiers Celestia picked out have just returned, but she is not with them," the guard babbled hastily.

"I'm aware of the situation," Luna responded at once. "I want you to spread the word that you are to proceed as though nothing is wrong. If the citizens see the guards begin to worry, then they will panic." The guard simply stared nonplussed at Luna as she so calmly issued the orders that had been, until recently, Celestia's job. "Did the soldiers bring anything with them?"

"Uh, yes! Yes they did," he babbled as he got his mind back on track. "They brought back a small crate of papers. Captain Shining Armor instructed them to deposit it in the Canterlot library."

Luna immediately started moving towards the door, leaving us all standing perplexed at her sudden action. "Escort us there," she instructed the guard as she reached the door. "We will investigate into these papers immediately."

With that said, she strode calmly into the hallway with the guard close behind her. As soon as she left the room, the entirety of my present friends turned to face me with varying looks of confusion on their faces.

"Just when I think I'm done with these damned papers, more get thrown at me," I grunted as I hefted myself back to my hooves and stepped toward the same door Luna had just left from. "Let's go. The more eyes we get on this, the faster we'll get it done and the faster we'll get Celestia back."

At once, the six mares around me got up from their various seats, with one or two anxious murmurs, and followed me as I chased after Luna and her escort.

* * *

The research area of the Canterlot library was a lot like one would expect. It was a large open area with several different desks arranged out in a grid pattern, each with their own small cushion for a pony to sit on while working. The desks were all very nice and tidy with only a few small stacks of books and papers scattered around that somepony had been looking at, or at least it was before I got there.

"There's nothing here!" I growled loudly and swept a hoof across my desk, throwing more than a few papers into the air beside me.

Several hours had passed since we returned to Canterlot and holed ourselves up in the library to sift through the Red King's leftovers. Twilight, myself, Luna, the rest Twilight's friends, and even Michael were present and had taken separate desks so that they could try to make sense of the scavenged notes. The only downside was that any notes that dealt with the Red King's magical workings were too complicated for Michael and the most of the mares, so they were shunted towards Luna, Twilight, and I. These scribbles also took up the vast majority of the papers, and contained absolutely no hints to how we could save Celestia. Needless to say, I was starting to fray a little at the seams.

"Harry, please calm down," Michael said in a calming tone as he got up from his desk. "I'm sure there's just something in these papers that we're not seeing."

I used my telekinesis and grabbed one of the random pages that held the design for what I believed to be the base matrix of the Red King's draining spell. "Michael, this will not help us," I said as I brandished the paper in front of his face. "This is mental magic on a level I've never even dreamed of before. I've spent the last three hours just beginning to figure out the absolute base for this spell." The paper dropped back to the desk and I rubbed the tips of my hooves against my temples in a feeble attempt to reduce my headache. "It would probably take me weeks to figure out how exactly this is supposed to work, and how we could track him through it; and we may only have days… or hours," I said, my voice trailing off into a whisper near the end. "That's assuming that there even is a way to track the spell."

From the desk next to mine, Twilight set down several copies of the same magical formulae onto her desk. Her brows were furrowed as she stared at the papers, her mane had become increasingly frizzy over the last few hours and her ears were beginning to twitch in irritation.

"Harry's right," she muttered, her voice strained a little under the pressure. "As much as I hate to admit it, this spell may be beyond me." The papers shifted around until a new page covered in odd markings floated before her eyes. "This is largely all magical scribblings that make sense only to whoever wrote them. It's like trying to piece together a puzzle without knowing what it's supposed to look like in the end, and the few bits that I can make out are… disturbing."

"The Red King and Life Drinker share equally depraved, and indecipherable minds it seems," Luna said from behind her own copies of notes. "These notes and this spell are incredibly complicated. I've yet to pinpoint a weakness we can exploit; every time I think I've found something traceable, there's an overlying working that covers it up." Luna stacked the loose papers onto a corner of her desk and rested her head on a foreleg. "The most I've found is that, no matter how intricate this spell is, it ultimately seems to boil down to a pure battle of wills. The Red King can prevent my sister from using magic, but he still has to break her mind. So long as she continues fighting, we have time."

"What about how he's containing her?" Michael asked, his eyes looking intently at me. "From what you've told me in the past about such things, in order to contain a being of her power, wouldn't she need to be held on a source of equal power? Like a… ley line, I think you called it."

"A what now?" Rarity piped up from her desk just on the fringes of the room.

I heaved a short sigh and directed my attention back to the papers on my desk. "A ley line is a long path at which latent magical energies naturally culminate together, kind of like a literal river of magic."

Twilight frowned deeply and her eyes unfocused as she undoubtedly began sifting through several years worth of lessons and memories. "I don't think I've ever heard of such a thing in Equestria," she said after a moment of consideration.

"That's because I don't believe there are ley lines here," I replied, perhaps a bit more aggressively than was necessary. "If we were back in my world, yes, known ley lines would be the first place I go looking. However, in all of the random boxes of history I've gone through so far, not once is anything mentioned about ley lines." I looked back up at Michael and frowned, "This world is simply too magically saturated for individual ley lines to form. The whole world might as well be one big ley line. She could be being held anywhere!"

"You're all thinking about it too hard. There's no replacement for good, old fashioned dirt," Rainbow Dash said as she brandished one of the few pages that didn't exclusively have magical scribblings all over it. "I just found a message saying that the Red King wanted supplies sent to an old ruined fort called Fort Trinity. I'll bet you he has Celestia there."

"I'm afraid not Ms. Dash," Michael offered. "A pegasi team scouted out those ruins a few days ago. They found a few vampires camping there, but that's all." Michael returned to his desk and poured over his own papers once again. "It looked to be a forward operating post, not a central base."

"Oh… well crud," Rainbow muttered and slapped her paper back onto her desk. "That was the only thing I could find in these freaking papers! You'd think this guy would leave some kind of solid trail."

I decided not to point out that, even if he was pressed for time in getting out of there, I highly doubted he would just leave behind a paper with a forwarding address. I let my eyes wander as I tried to imagine the whole situation from a new angle, a dull pain forming in the back of my head as I did so.

"There's got to be something," I grumbled and leaned back a little, letting my muzzle point up towards the ceiling. "There's got to be some small fact that… Wait a minute. This may be a weird question, but where's the Sun?" I asked, pointing a hoof up at the skylight far above us.

The library's study was completely windowless, save for the skylight in the domed ceiling. We had been in that study since we debriefed Luna in the early morning, and stayed there for several hours after. Even with the slight sleep deprivation, my inner clock was telling me that it couldn't be any later than two in the afternoon. Despite that fact, the sky was the near pitch black of deepest night and had several small stars twinkling in the dark.

"Whoa Nelly," Applejack exclaimed. "How long have we been here again? I could've sworn we just had lunch delivered here 'bout an hour ago."

Luna loudly cleared her throat, drawing all of our attention onto her. "Believe it or not, that is actually a good sign." Luna gazed up at the darkened skylight and wore a weary smile that was equal parts hope and despair, "The Sun is still bound to Celestia, and it will not rise until she is free once more."

Twilight cocked her head to one side as she peered questioningly at Luna, "I don't understand. If Celestia can't raise the Sun, then why don't you do raise it like she raised the moon when you were banished?" Twilight's frown deepened as she considered it even further, "And for that matter, how is Celestia's Sun not rising, a good sign?"

"Because Twilight Sparkle, it means that my sister is still fighting," Luna said in a calm and detached voice. "When I was banished from Equestria, my connection to the moon was severed, even though it was my prison. Celestia is still in this world, so her connection to the Sun remains strong." Luna shifted her copies of the Red King's notes together into one neat stack and slowly lifted herself from her seat, stretching slightly as she did she did so. "You have to understand, in order for us to move the Sun and moon across the sky, Celestia and I have to be in harmony. We both must be willing and able to exercise our power before we can move the heavenly bodies."

"So if the Sun's still bound to her, but she just can't move it, then that confirms that Celestia is still alive!" Rarity blurted out, a sudden look of real hope appearing on her face.

"Precisely," Luna said before she looked solemnly back up at the darkened skylight, "Though I never really thought that my extended night could mean good news for my sister." She heaved a short sigh and quickly trotted off towards the study's door, her stack of notes floating along behind her. "I feel that there may be several ponies that see this night as the second coming of Nightmare Moon. I should go and make a few public statements. I doubt it'll completely relax the city, but hopefully I can at least prevent a riot."

Pinkie almost immediately set down her own stack of papers and bounced over towards Luna before she could leave. "Wait for me! If anypony knows how to make a pony, or a whole bunch of ponies feel better, it's Pinkie Pie!"

"I should come too," said Applejack in a frustrated tone. She calmly, but forcefully, set down her copies onto her own desk, "Researching like this has never been my strong suit, I'd be better off helping with something I can handle. I figure things with the public would go a might smoother with one or more of us there, Princess." Applejack tilted her head and offered a small smile at Luna, "Element of Honesty and all."

Luna chewed on her lower lip for a moment before answering, "Very well. If you wish to, I will be happy to take whatever help you may offer." Luna craned her head around to peer over at Twilight and I, "Assuming you have no immediate need of them."

"Nnnngh," I grunted, my face still buried beneath several sheets of paper.

Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes at me. "We'll be fine, Princess. Just please hurry back when you're done. I'm not sure how much of this spell we can unravel without you."

"I shall not be too long." With that said, Luna hurriedly made her way out of the study with Pinkie and Applejack right behind her.

"Uhm, Twilight," whispered Fluttershy from directly behind me. After a brief surprise induced heart attack on my part, Fluttershy continued on. "Would you mind if I go too? There are still a lot of ponies that need my help in the infirmary, and…" Fluttershy shuddered slightly. "I just need to get away from these papers."

"Oh, of course you can go dear," Rarity answered for her friend. "I know those poor ponies need your help more than we do. We can handle things here."

Fluttershy looked uncertainly at Twilight for confirmation, who nodded back at her with a small smile. Once insuring that she wasn't needed, Fluttershy put on a decent burst of speed as she fled from the study, slamming the door behind her in the process. My eyebrow arched a bit at Fluttershy's sudden burst of tension and energy. I could only assume that, while Fluttershy could deal with patching up hurt ponies, delving into the mind of the thing that had done the damage was something she just couldn't handle very well.

Those thoughts and more were put on the back burner once the door shut again. Now that Fluttershy had left the only ones remaining to comb through the Red King's notes were Rarity, Rainbow, Michael, Twilight, and I. All other thoughts and concerns evaporated from me as my mind refocused onto finding the answer that could mean all of our lives.

"Ugh, I bet Daring Do never had to do this," Rainbow groaned as she reached for a new piece of paper.

The study once again fell into silence as, those of us left, resumed our search. If there's one thing I've learned in several years of various kinds of nasty trying to tear me multiple new ones, it's that time can be a heartless bitch. Hours seemed to shorten into minutes, in indirect proportion to my rising blood pressure. Dinner came and went with a few ponies from the kitchen and we ate it in complete silence. My growing sense of sleep deprivation was telling me that it we were rapidly approaching the late night hours, even though the perpetually dark sky above us gave no indication of such a change.

Princess Luna returned shortly after our dinner and wordlessly took a desk on the far side of the study. Luna's twinkling dark blue mane was billowing around her with several more sharp angles at the edges than her usual flowing mane. Her general agitated appearance and the fact that she wasn't speaking a word to any of us, gave me the impression that her meeting with the general public, wasn't meet with the best of reactions. Though I had no real way of knowing the city's attitude from inside the library, I was at least satisfied that they were not breaking down the doors of the castle to overthrow Nightmare Moon. While Luna had returned, Applejack and Pinkie had not. I knew Fluttershy would likely still be treating her patients, but I could only guess as to what her absent friends were up to.

_Honestly, it's probably for the best. Applejack wasn't making much headway and Pinkie would just be a distraction. I'm sure they're helping somehow, like passing around coffee, or making a warm bed… Man, I wish I had coffee and a warm bed right now…_I shook my head to clear my drifting thoughts. _No! The spell, focus on the spell! The energy transference from one body to the other has to be violent and messy, so there should be a trail left over… Maybe…_

Evidently Michael was placing himself along the same lines as the two absent ponies. A golden yellow hoof placed itself on my shoulder and shook me slightly, effectively destroying my train of thought. I reared around and tracked the offending foreleg back to the white earth pony body it was connected to.

"Harry," Michael almost whispered, his eyes boring into me with equal amounts of stoic calmness and the rare sense of nervousness. "I need to get back to the barracks. Shining Armor is waiting to hear from me about exactly what's happening, and I'm honestly not finding much of anything in these notes about their movements that we don't already know." Michael craned his head around the room to look at the mares that were still present, two of which had fallen fast asleep.

Both Rainbow and Rarity were slumped over their respective desks, using stacks of paper as makeshift pillows. Twilight sat at the desk next to mine and was clearly suffering from a decent lack of sleep as she continued reading. Her mane was a frizzy mess, her eyes were slightly bloodshot, and even had deep dark bags underneath them. Luna was still sitting at her desk on the far end of the room with her back to the rest of us.

Michael heaved a short sigh before turning pleading eyes onto me. "I know how pressing our current situation is, but you might, for once, consider taking some time to slow down."

"That is a perfectly reasonable request, Michael. I, of course, deny it entirely," I grunted in response and glared over my papers at the heavenly knight in pony form. "You know, more than most, what will happen to Equestria if we fail."

Michael shrugged a shoulder dismissively and turned towards the exit, "I figured as much. Just please, don't overdo it." He finished speaking just as his cross emblazoned flank passed through the doorframe.

With yet another set of eyes gone in our search, I was well and truly beginning to panic. I was having next to no luck deciphering the Red King's magic notes and I knew that by the time I'd get anything useful, it'd likely be too late. With that in mind, I refocused my thoughts to the long shot of trying to piece together the few facts I already knew and proceed from there.

"To stop the spell, need to understand it," I muttered under my breath. My eyes unfocused and stared off into the distance as I ran through my loose logic chain. "Takes multiple powers and puts them in one body… Aura doesn't feel like multiple energies, just one massive one… Has to convert the power first…"

Twilight's ears began twitching and swiveled around towards me as soon as I started my incoherent mumbling. She finally brought her bleary eyes up from her collected papers to peer around the study as though seeing it for the first time. Her gaze shifted first to her two sleeping friends a few desks away, then to the secluded Luna, and then came to rest on me. Sensing my fraying mental state, she got up from her seat and made her way to stand next to me.

"Harry?" she whispered and placed her hoof over my own.

"Personal power doesn't like to be converted," I continued, completely oblivious to Twilight's actions. "Conversion is violent and leaves a stain… Stains can be followed… Need to find patterns of violence."

"Harry, snap out of it!" Twilight barked in as hushed a tone as she could manage and brought her muzzle to push against mine, forcing my skull to shift against her.

"Huh… Twilight, what is it?" I asked, keeping my voice low so as to not wake Rainbow Dash or Rarity.

Twilight drew away and peered at me with a look that was equal parts worry and exhaustion, "I think we've been through enough for now. We should get some rest and then pick it up again in a few hours."

"No," I responded immediately, pushing away the pleasant notion of a soft bed and a warm purple furred pillow. "I need to keep going. There are one or two random things I want to look into."

"Harry, please," she protested. "You're starting to act like I did when I thought the world was ending."

I held up the paper with the base matrix of the Red King's spell and scrutinized it. "The world is ending, Twilight."

Twilight nudged me with her muzzle stubbornly, "Harry, I know things are looking bad, but you won't be able to help anypony if you're too tired to levitate a book much less create a strong shield."

My hooves pressed into the desktop as my tension neared its breaking point. I craned my head around to give a piercing glare at Twilight. "I can't," I growled at the mare. "We were winning, Twilight. We had the numbers and the power. The vampires were hiding in holes, but not anymore. They've taken the greatest weapon we had against them, and now all they need to do is wait out the clock until they have a demigod of their own."

My chest was heaving with my deep ragged breaths as I broke eye contact to gaze at the center of the study. Sitting on the central desk, in clear view from every part of the study, was the enchanted vial of Luna's blood. The small red glass hung limply in its frame, giving us no indication where its relative might be.

I snapped my eyes back to the purple unicorn beside me, "If we don't fix this mess and fast, then Equestria will hop on the fast train to the same nasty end my world has been dancing around for years. So no, I will not take a rest just yet."

Twilight considered me for a moment, and then huffed out a puff of air through her nose. "Fine, but I will at least give you some small comfort."

Without any forewarning, Twilight stepped forward and around me. She stretched her legs out as she wound herself around my back, pressing herself slightly against me as she did so. In the space of a second or two, she finished stretching and settled down on the sizeable cushion I was sitting on. She lay on her side with her hind legs at my right flank, her soft belly pressed against the base of my spine, and with her head and forelegs at my left flank. Her purple striped tail flicked around to settle itself protectively across my belly and came to a rest just at Twilight's muzzle, effectively wrapping herself around me.

"Please wake me when you realize that you need sleep," she whispered, her eyes fluttering shut as she began drifting off. "I'll be right here until then."

I gave Twilight a soft smile and placed a hoof on her side, which was already shifting with the relaxed breaths of a deep sleep. Certainly feeling at least somewhat better, I resumed my work. While Twilight's presence was all sorts of comforting, it did not give me any sort of epiphany. For around half an hour, I stared at a moderately detailed map of the lands around Canterlot and babbled incoherently to myself. A familiar throbbing headache grew just behind the horn on my head.

"Needs to make binding circle on level and clean ground…" I muttered to myself once again. "Can't be in the forest, has to be in a structure… An old abandoned town? A ruined tower would fit the evil overlord stereotype better."

"Hoss, what do you think you're doin'?" called the ragged, but very familiar, voice of an old fart of wizard.

Where a moment before there was nothing but empty air in front of my desk, my old mentor Ebenezer McCoy stood and glared at me with irritated eyes. I simply gaped at him over my still levitating map, stunned by the sudden appearance of my old mentor. He appeared just as he had when I glimpsed him in Celestia's reading room, with a loose fitting plaid shirt and dirty denim overalls.

"Well boy, what are you still doing here?" he repeated, taking a step closer to my desk. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you a warden? You need to be doing your job, not lounging around in la-la land."

While most of my brain was reeling at the surprise, the more logic driven portions told me that what I was witnessing shouldn't be possible. Aside from the fact that McCoy should've set off Luna's transformation spell, there was simply no way he could've pierced the Red King's veil around the portion of the Nevernever closest to Equestria. Operating on that hunch, I dropped my gaze down to Twilight's face. She was still sound asleep, completely undisturbed by the loud raggedy voice of an angry Scottish-by-way-of-Missouri man. He was just a figment of my imagination, another example of my increasingly unstable mind.

I glared back up at the apparition and scowled deeply. _If you have something useful to say, then spit it out. Otherwise, you can leave the way you came in, _I thought at the wrinkly old man, so as to no risk waking Twilight.

McCoy's eyebrows furrowed until he almost had a unibrow. "What I've got to say, is that you've still got a job to do. The wardens are understaffed as is."

_Since when do you give a damn about the wardens?_ I jabbed my chin out at the man. _When I was with you, you spent almost every waking moment on your farm and threw any summons you got from the White Council in the trash. You've only dealt with them recently out of necessity._

"Just because I don't like the White Council's policies don't mean they aren't necessary," he countered. "They still need your help."

_She needs it more,_ I retorted with a quick glance at the still sleeping Twilight. _Ebenezer, I know you mentored me, gave me a home, and gave me a chance when the Council just wanted to execute me; but if you're trying to get me to leave, then you can go straight to Hell._

The fake McCoy frowned at me, his eyes shifting between Twilight and myself. He growled and placed his calloused hands on his hips. "You're not thinking straight, boy. But I guess it's a mute point so long as you can't cross over into the Nevernever." He frowned even more intensely at me, "So tell me, what's your plan for taking on this Red King pretender? Say, by some miracle, you find a flaw in his spell and can track him back to his hideout. What then?"

My eyes dropped back down to the point labeled Ponyville on my map. _We kill him. We take Luna, the Elements of Harmony, every soldier, guardspony, and scout I can get my hooves on, and we drown him in a sea of fire and sharpened steel._

McCoy cocked an eyebrow at me, "That's it? Throw an army at him and hope that does it? What the Hell kind of Commander are you? I thought you'd have an actual plan."

_That _is_ the plan,_I thought with a snarl. _He's too powerful to take on alone, and I can't separate him from his stolen power. My only option left is to overwhelm him. If I understood this spell of his, then maybe I cook up something more elaborate._

Ebenezer chuckled at me, which seemed a little self indulgent considering he was my hallucination. "Good lord, I thought I taught you to be smarter than this. You can't ensure that it'll come down to a straight up fight between him and your army. You need a backup plan." He leaned forward and placed his right hand on my desk, his fingers just touching on a stray piece of paper. "You need an ace in the hole."

My eyes tracked his hand to the paper it rested on. With a small flash of red light, I levitated the paper up to my face to inspect it. It was an obituary, a list of all those who had died or gone missing at the claws of the Red Court. There were fallen soldiers, guards, missing patrols, and citizens that had vanished from their homes. It was a very long list.

_How's this supposed to help me?_ I thought as I looked back up at the apparition, but he had already gone. There was nothing but empty air in front of my desk once more.

I frowned back down at the list and began pondering how this could possibly help me. An image of the spirit we had seen at Life Drinker's lab floated to the forefront of my mind. Not only did it have enough power to manifest itself into a visible form, but I remembered that it was also experiencing an intense fear. Something clicked in the back of my mind. A wide malicious grin stretched across my muzzle as I got a potentially life saving idea, but I needed confirmation first. Just because the spirit was where the Red King had practiced, didn't necessarily mean he was the one who made it.

I reached around, placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder, and carefully shook her until she awoke. "Twilight, get up. I need you for something," I whispered.

"Nngh… Wha- Harry?" she muttered as she lifted her head and shifted until she was sitting at my left. "How long has it been?"

I waved her off with a hoof, "Just a few minutes, but I need to ask you something." I leaned in closer and looked her intently in her eyes. "You know what the Red King's spell does right? Not how it works, but what it does." She nodded once. "Okay, I need you to tell me specifically what it does. It's really important that I know the details."

"Uhm, okay." Twilight's face screwed up as she thought back to what she knew about the spell. "Well, Life Drinker made it so that she could assault the mind of a victim. If that victim succumbed and gave in to her will, then she took the power necessary for the victim's body to function, and added it to her own energy pool."

"And that's it?" I asked, my breathing and heartbeat growing with my excitement. "It takes the energy from the body, and nothing else?"

Twilight frowned a little as she considered the question. "Yes, I believe so. I met with Celestia a day or so ago and she specifically told me it was the energy that kept the heart beating and such. Why?"

Instead of an answer, I beamed a wide smile at the mare, wrapped a foreleg around her neck, and planted a deep kiss on her lips. Her eyes snapped open with surprise initially, but she quickly smiled and leaned into the meeting of the muzzles. I held the kiss for a solid three count before I broke away, smiling widely as I held her at forelegs length.

"You beautiful mare," I said aloud, my shortened breath straining my voice slightly. "You beautiful, brilliant mare, you just gave me an idea."

I released Twilight and pivoted back around towards my desk. A blank piece of paper and a quill zipped over to me and started writing down notes of my own.

"What was that all about?" Twilight asked and shuffled closer to put her face next to mine. "What are you doing?"

The quill scribbled down several lines of formulae as I imagined what I wanted it to do. "It's an old spell I know. Not as old as Life Drinker's spell, but still useful in the right circumstances."

Twilight frowned as she studied what I had already written down, "I don't recognize this. What is it supposed to do?"

"I…" The quill paused, mid word, as I considered the request. "I think It's better if you don't know, Twilight. It's the sort of thing that could get you into some serious trouble if others found out you knew."

Twilight responded to this by pouting out her lower lip, flattening her ears against her skull, and giving me puppy dog eyes that would give Fluttershy a run for her money. I've had easier times denying the offers of demigods and literal forces of evil than I did with her sad face, but I managed all the same, barely.

"You can shoot me all the cute faces you want, I'm not teaching you the dark secrets of the universe," I chuckled.

She heaved a small sigh and resigned herself to simply watch me work, her drowsiness having apparently been replaced with curiosity. Thankfully, Twilight offered no verbal distractions as I wrote and calculated exactly what I wanted, out onto multiple pieces of paper that were swiftly covering up the Red King's. Although Twilight didn't try to wrestle an explanation out of me, she did placate herself by shifting until she sat with her right flank against my left, and rested her head on my shoulder. I suddenly found it much more difficult to concentrate on my spell work.

* * *

"There, that should about do it," I sighed and gathered together my loose collection of scribbles together.

Only around forty-five minutes to an hour had passed since I began piecing together my spell. The base form of my desired working was extremely simple, almost insultingly so; but in order to get it to do exactly what I wanted, I needed to modify in several small ways. The result was a fairly complicated mess that made logical sense, but was entirely untested. It was entirely possible that I had just created a magical suicide button for myself, rather than anything actually useful. If I was forced to use it, I just had to hope against hope that my skills were actually worth something.

"I couldn't understand half of what you wrote down, Harry," Twilight groaned. "You really need to work on your calligraphy."

"I like to think of it as my own personal code. It makes it really hard for anyone other than me to read my notes," I countered. "Besides, I still haven't wholly gotten the hang of writing with a levitating quill yet."

Twilight inhaled a sharp gasp and roughly tapped a hoof on my shoulder. "Never mind your writing, look!"

She pointed her hoof past my field of vision somewhere in front of my desk. I followed where her foreleg was pointing, and had to pull a double take. The little vial of Luna's blood was glowing a dark blue and was pulled up at a sharp angle, pointing decidedly somewhere to the southeast. Celestia was no longer shielded from magical tracking.

"Princess Luna!" Twilight shouted.

Across the room Luna looked up from her pile of notes, most of which were likely her own, and craned her head around to face us. "What are you yelling about? I'm trying to wor-" She was cut off as her eyes fell on the still levitating vial. "Sister…"

Luna immediately abandoned her papers and slowly made her way over to the glowing container of blood. A small ridge formed in between her eyes, indicating that something didn't quite sit right with her. Twilight and I likewise left my desk to inspect the object of Luna's tracking spell. Several warning lights began going off in my mind as I wondered just how the tracking spell suddenly began working.

Evidently Twilight was thinking along those same lines. "I don't like this," Twilight muttered once she stood next to the vial. "Princess Celestia is hidden from us all day, and then suddenly she's just free? I'm going to say this is a trap."

"Agreed," Luna added. "But what do you want us to do about it? She's still my sister and your Princess, we must go. While we may not be aware of the circumstances, we do know that she's at least traceable now."

"So we bring enough to smash through whatever trap the Red King has set up." I pivoted around and grabbed a nearby textbook in my magical grip. With a moderate amount of force I sent it flying across the room and smacked into Rainbow Dash's ribs.

Rainbow's head shot up in a jolt of movement. "I wasn't sleeping!" she cried out immediately before actually taking the time to examine her surroundings.

_It's actually kind of fun not being on the receiving end of that._

"Rainbow get up, we need you for something," I shot at the cyan pegasus. I sidestepped a little so that the floating vial was in plain view of her.

Rainbow's eyes tracked to the vial and widened in sudden understanding. "The tracking thing finally worked? Well what are you all waiting for, let's go get Celestia!"

"Calm yourself Rainbow Dash," Luna spoke in a serene voice that belied the tension I knew she must be feeling. "We can do nothing with just a general direction. I want you to go and assemble a small team of pegasi scouts. You will take the vial with you, and you will follow it until you find the location of my sister, and then return so that we know where she is. Do you understand?" Rainbow nodded her head feverishly. Luna smiled and nodded in return, "Good. Now, do not engage any vampires. If you encounter them, I want you to fly away. I do not want you taking any unnecessary risks."

Rainbow brought a hoof up to her brow to salute Luna, "You can count on me, Princess."

A sudden brainwave hit me. If I was going to get word spread and get the troops ready quickly, I needed a pony that could move faster than greased lightning and had the uncanny ability to find whatever or whoever she wanted. I needed Pinkie, and Rainbow was the best option for getting to her quickly.

Before Rainbow could take more than a few rushed steps for the door, I stuck a hoof out to stop her. "Hold up. Before you do that, I need you to go find Pinkie Pie and give her a message," I instructed, giving Rainbow my "dead serious" glare. "I want you to tell her to spread the word about what's going on. Tell her to round up every single soldier, guardspony, scout, and medic in and around Canterlot. If they can hold a spear, shoot a crossbow, or throw a spell, I want them armored up and ready to move out the second you return."

"Got it," Rainbow and turned to leave, but was stopped by my still outstretched hoof.

"And Rainbow," I muttered as she cocked an eyebrow back at me. "If there ever was a time to go as fast as physically possible, this would be it."

Rainbow flashed me a grin to show that she understood, shrugged off my hoof, and sped away through the study's door. I turned away from the faint rainbow trail she left behind to look back at Luna, Twilight, and the still sleeping Rarity, who was drooling a little on her notes. Both Luna and Twilight packed up what little they had brought with them and shared a few hushed words with one another, apparently having some small argument.

Twilight stepped forward and asked, "Are you sure we need all of them? Shouldn't we leave behind some guards?"

"No," I responded immediately, a snarl working its way on my muzzle. "We can deal with a panicking Canterlot when we return with Celestia. I mean to bring to bear every bit of strength and power we have against him." Luna grinned a short wicked smile at my words, her mane rising up into the air behind her. I pivoted around and quickly moved towards the study door, "I'm through playing around with this Red King."

Twilight bounded forward until she was trotting beside me. "Good," she said with a slightly pained, although determined expression. "I want to make sure that he never hurts anypony, ever again."


	24. Chapter 24

**Flesh Masks Ch. 24**

"Dresden, would you be a dear and pass me my knives?" Rarity asked as she wound two leather straps around her chest and forelegs.

"Huh? Oh, yeah sure," I mumbled and directed my magic to seize Rarity's diamond knives off a nearby crate and floated them over to her.

She grabbed the knives out off the air and began sliding them into the harness she just put on. "Thank you. Now if only we could do something about that dreadful racket," She said with a disdainful glance down the hall to the balcony overlooking the barracks sparing room.

Rainbow Dash, along with three other pegasi scouts, had only been gone for about an hour, but in that short time, we had collected together a truly impressive number of fighters. These earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi were being funneled through the barracks in large groups so they could be geared and brought up to speed, as fast as possible. After these ponies were fully equipped and given a short rundown, Luna and Michael directed them into the castle courtyard, making room for the next group of soldiers.

I wasn't entirely sure of our numbers, but Pinkie had really outdone herself in spreading word to every battle ready pony Canterlot had to offer. I looked down and shook my head in disbelief at my own pink embroidered invitation that had managed to work its way under the crack of my door.

_You are invited to help Princess Luna!_

_The Princess is leaving to go help protect Equestria and rescue her sister. She needs your help to do this and will be very grateful to all of her helpers. Must be willing to wear some form of armor and use some form of weaponry._

_RSVP at the Canterlot Castle barracks._

_P.S. Princess Luna is not Nightmare Moon._

I sighed and diverted my attention back to Rarity, my ears twitching every now and then at the clang of metal from below. "Don't complain. More noise means more soldiers, which means we're less likely to be hugged to death by those super friendly vampires," I pointed out, my voice practically dripping with sarcasm.

Rarity rolled her eyes and tossed her mane about as she settled her robe, "Oh by all means Mr. Dresden, please don't sugarcoat it for us."

A smirk played across my muzzle, "For the sake of my own nerves, as well as yours, I'll stick with my version. It's nicer and more optimistic."

"I like optimistic," Fluttershy muttered just as she finished fastening the last strap on her medic's coat. "Optimistic feels more comfortable."

Rarity rolled her eyes at us, but couldn't quite hide the small smile at the corner of her mouth. Applejack stepped forward before Rarity could offer a response. She raised a heavily armored hoof and set her own pink invitation on the nearby crate I had just vacated of Rarity's knives.

"Where is Pinkie anyway?" asked Applejack, one of her eyebrows disappearing underneath her ram horned helmet. "She still out rounding up ponies?"

I craned my head around and watched as a group of fifty or so soldiers marched out of the sparring room, only to immediately be replaced by another fifty. Luna stood tall in front of them and gave them the same informative speech she'd prepared for the others. The ponies all watched with expressions ranging from stern seriousness to mild nervousness.

"From the looks of things, I'd say she's already gotten the word out to almost everypony she can," I commented.

The door to Twilight's room flew open as its owner hurriedly strode out of it, and over to sit with us at the end of the hall nearest the sparring chamber. She was already garbed in her deep purple overcoat and levitated a small spell book in front of her face. Her eyes were darting across her book and she frowned deeply, clearly trying to process whatever she was reading.

"Pinkie's probably on her way now," Twilight muttered absentmindedly. "How long do you think until Rainbow gets back?"

"I don't know, but we're ready when she does," called a familiar voice from the stairs at the opposite end of the hallway.

Feeling a smile stretch across my features, I turned on the spot to face the stairs. Michael, Silent Night, and Pinkie Pie were calmly strolling over towards the remainder of my team and I. Upon making eye contact with her friends, Pinkie bounced over and embraced the four present in a big hug, albeit with a little less energy than her usual level of pep. Michael gave me a solemn, yet reassuring smile and strode over to clap a hoof on my back.

Silent stood a few feet apart from the group, looking at us with a certain amount of amusement. "Like I was saying, the Princess is wrapping up speaking with the last few groups now. This one," Silent said with a nod towards Pinkie, "managed to get one of her invitations into the hooves of just about every fit pony in Canterlot."

His vagueness wasn't missed on me. I shot Michael a sidelong glance and quirked an eyebrow in a silent question. He got my meaning at once.

"We have around a thousand armed and armored ponies at our disposal," Michael said in a deep carrying voice. Both of my eyebrows battled for real-estate as they shot up into my mane. I couldn't quite believe the Canterlot had that many soldiers ready to go at a moment's notice. Noticing the shocked expression on my face, Michael's expression changed somewhat to a slight distaste as his tone likewise shifted, "The vast majority of these are trained soldiers and guards, but there are several barely trained recruits and even a couple of civilian volunteers scattered among the ranks."

That news disturbed me. Given the circumstances, I had no issues using trained military to help fight the Red King. The soldiers were prepared for battle and all the risks it entailed, and the Red King was just too damned powerful to challenge any other way. What I didn't like was putting those without the necessary experience, in danger. An untrained recruit, or a civilian, adds an element of risk to any combat scenario. Would they manage to keep a cool, level head and do what they were assigned, or would they freak out and head for the hills at the first look at a vampire's claws? There was really only one way to find out, and I didn't like the potential consequences it could have.

I peered around at Pinkie and shot her a scrutinizing glare. Pinkie noted my gaze and released her friends from the imprisoning hug that she had held them in since she arrived, her armor or interconnecting plates clinked as she did so. "I needed to invite them, Harry," she deadpanned as though that had been the obvious thing to do. "If they didn't come, then something really bad would happen. I just know it."

_Well… damn._

There wasn't much I could say to that. Pinkie's reassurances didn't make me like using civilians any more, but her loosely controlled ability to detect the near future meant she probably had a better idea of what we needed than I did. I'd be an idiot to casually dismiss Pinkie's input, however broken, disjointed, and ill-defined it was.

"As comforting as that is," Silent noted, his voice practically dripping with sarcasm, "I've already spoken with the different captains and even Princess Luna on the subject. We've agreed that the less trained ponies will be assigned to more passive rolls, carrying a few extra supplies, extracting wounded soldiers, that sort of thing."

"Thank you, I'd rather not have to worry about too many innocent being harmed," Michael said with a bright smile for the battle scarred pegasus scout. His gaze then shifted back to me and he took a small step back for a more casual talk, taking great care that the portion of _Amoracchius_ sticking up out of its sheath didn't accidentally stab anypony. "But he was correct, Harry. The last of the ponies are being armored up as we speak, and we'll be ready to march immediately after. All we need is a destination."

I opened my maw to finally get a word in, but was immediately cut off by the pink party mare. "Don't you worry about that!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Dashie will be back any second now, just you wait. Then we can show that meanie Red King what for!"

_Did she just use__baby__talk to describe, what will likely be, a very bloody battle?_

As though summoned by Pinkie's supernatural amount of energy and cheerfulness, several loud clunks resounded from the distant patio/landing zone that lay just around the corner at the absolute end of the hallway. Several more similar clangs sounded as, what sounded like several ponies, charged down the hallway towards the stairs. Within seconds four pegasi, all wearing a combination of thick linen and chainmail, came within sight of us and paused in their mad gallop to see who we were.

One particular cyan coated pegasus mare took several steps forward and placed the small metal framework she held in her mouth onto the floor. The little vial of blood hanging in the middle of the frame swung wildly as she did so. "Oh thank Celestia, it's good to see you guys," Rainbow Dash cried out, her breath was ragged with exertion. "I think we may have our work cut out for us."

"Did you find where Celestia is?" I asked immediately.

Rainbow nodded her head vigorously and craned around to pull a rolled up map from the saddlebag on her back. Rainbow moved forward to spread the map out on the small crate we were crowded around, and began smoothing it out.

Michael turned to peer at the three pegasi that were left standing without anything to do. "Head downstairs and tell Luna of your return, arm yourselves with whatever you need for battle, then find your assigned units out in the castle courtyard."

The pegasi scouts snapped to attention as they each saluted Michael, turned on the spot, and vanished down the nearby stairs. Twilight levitated over a pencil, which Rainbow seized in her teeth just after she finished spreading out her map of Equestria and ensured it wouldn't it roll closed on her. Just as Rainbow was about to set pencil to paper, a surge of energy flooded over my senses, and a bright flash of dark blue light permeated the hallway. Princess Luna appeared out of her teleportation spell and spun around until her eyes landed on us.

"Rainbow Dash, you have returned!" Luna exclaimed and hurried to stand next to, and over, us. Luna's wide hopeful eyes never lost track of the rainbow maned pegasus, or the pencil that was frozen in the air over the map. "Did you find her? Did you find my sister?"

"Mhmm," was Rainbow's reply through the pencil.

She leaned her head down and drew a small circle of to the side of the map. After she drew away I could see that the circle was around a small structure located in a couple of miles in the woods further back from Life Drinker's lab. It was extremely out of the way and surrounded by very thick woods on all sides, but if the map was accurate, there was a sizeable clearing directly in front of the structure in question.

"Oh, how cruel fate can be," Luna whispered once she got a good look at the location Rainbow had indicated. Luna's expression became withdrawn and seemed to be at war with itself over trying so show fury or sorrow, and settled on a little of both.

I quirked an eyebrow at the demigod, "You know what this place is?"

Instead of Luna, Twilight stepped forward and peered at the map, her eyes unfocused as she struggled to remember some fact. "I think I know this," Twilight muttered and cast an uncertain look up at the princess. "Isn't that…?"

"Yes," Luna finished with a nod of her head. "That is the shrine to Nightmare Moon."

"What?" everypony present, except Twilight, shouted at Luna.

Twilight made a hushing gesture with her forelegs at us before visibly switching into lecture mode. "I read about it in a few of my old history books. After Princess Celestia banished Nightmare Moon, several of her supporters were still in Equestria."

"Whether they were compelled by my mental magic or if they held genuine desire to follow my example, I'm not sure. But after my banishment, several ponies banded together and acted against Celestia, calling her a tyrannical dictator. They named themselves the Lunar Republic, and they didn't last too long without Nightmare Moon to guide them." Luna hung her head in shame. "That shrine was the site of my betrayal to Celestia, the spot where I refused to lower my moon."

"It's fitting I suppose, using Nightmare Moon's symbol to dampen Celestia's spirit even more," I muttered aloud. Everypony gave me varying looks of irritation at that comment. "Well if you're going to do the whole evil bastard thing, you might as well be thorough."

"That's not it, Princess," Rainbow Dash cut in. "We did a few circles over the area just to be sure, and we saw a bit of movement. We didn't specifically see any vampires, but a lot of the trees around the clearing there were rustling around. There's got to be a lot of somethings moving around in there." Rainbow shifted her hoof to point at the forest between us and the shrine. "But the weird thing is, even though we saw movement around this shrine thing, we couldn't see anything in any of the other parts of the forest."

I chewed on my lower lip as I considered that one for a moment. "Of course they're not running around, they don't need to," I automatically spouted as a brainwave hit me. "They already have what they were after."

"This doesn't matter. We have the strength we need to challenge him, and we have our destination. We will march and Equestria will finally be rid of this evil." said Michael, ever the confident warrior. I sometimes had to wonder if Michael's "job" gave him a false sense of security. Michael and Silent simultaneously moved towards the stairs leading down, "We'll give the order to march immediately, Ma'am."

"Please do," Luna responded. "We'll meet up with you en route. There are a few things we still need to grab here."

Luna watched as the two heavily armored ponies descended the stairs and began barking orders. Shortly after, the sound of several stomping hooves could be heard moving around below us. The princess peered around at us over her back and silently motioned her hoof for us to follow her, heaving a short sigh as she did so. My team and I all shared a quick glance between each other before we simultaneously rose from our respective seats and followed after Luna. We silently trotted down the hallway until the eight of us stood on the same balcony that Rainbow landed on in the first place.

The view was something I'm pretty sure I never would've even dreamed of, much less seen back in my world. Huge numbers of ponies in varying levels of armor were organizing into ordered groups and began marching in large squares out of the castle's gates. Groups of between fifty to a hundred armored ponies marched from the main gates and headed for Canterlot's central street. Aside from the copious amount of razor tipped spears hanging above their heads, each group flew several brightly colored flags that bore Equestria's symbol of the royal sisters on them. Far above all our heads, several of the military's pegasi flew in holding patterns over the soldiers. While there were many pegasi in the air, I could see that the majority of them were marching on the ground with the others, conserving their energy for later.

"As much as I detest what we are about to do," Luna murmured as we looked over the impressive sight of her army, "I cannot deny that this is an awe-inspiring sight. I sometimes forget what Equestria is capable of, if pushed to our breaking point."

"That's one thing we share at least," I commented dryly. Luna gave me a sidelong glance with a single raised eyebrow. "The inhabitants of my world are capable of a lot of things if pushed too far as well, and most of them aren't good." I looked past the city into the twinkling night sky, "The only difference is you're just finding your breaking point after such a long peace, my world's practically been living on that point for most of my adult life."

Twilight stepped up beside me and brushed her side against mine, "Well then let's do what we have to, to get our peace back. Then maybe you can find what a calmer life can be like."

"Indeed," Luna said, drawing our attention back to her. She turned around and peered sternly over us all. "This whole thing has escalated well beyond anything I've expected, and well beyond anything you've been exposed too." I had the distinct impression that last comment was directed more at Twilight and her friends, instead of me. "Please, just remain strong for a little while longer."

"Of course, Princess," Applejack said immediately. "Celestia needs us. For everything she's done to lead us and teach us, the least we can do is help her when she needs us most." The others immediately began nodding and mumbled their approval with Applejack's words.

Upon seeing this, Luna's stern mask cracked and a weary smile spread across her face. "Thank you, thank you all very much," she muttered, her eyes actually beginning to water a bit. She paused to wipe at her face with a foreleg and reassert some self-control. "Now, I'm sure you all have a few last minute supplies to grab, and I advise that you do so." Luna's wings flared out around her and lifted her into the air as she swung them down. "I need to don my own equipment. Meet me on this balcony in ten minutes and I'll teleport us all to meet with Mr. Carpenter immediately after," she said as she hovered about a foot over our heads.

Luna turned in the sky and streaked off, rounding around one of the castle's many towers and out of sight. In the awkward silence that followed, I shifted and sat on my haunches at the balcony's edge. I nervously began fidgeting with my thick brown overcoat, reassuring myself that all the connections were in place and it wouldn't slip off. Once I had done that, my hoof found its way over my mother's silver pentacle amulet, and I just held it for a moment while I stared out over the orders of ponies that were still marching out of the city.

In the middle of a fight or some other kind of conflict, I had always been able to take my adrenaline and use it to keep my brain on task, but it's a different story out of combat. In the time immediately before or after a conflict, my nerves usually get the better of me and I have to fight to keep my heart from beating into my throat. After a fight, I just have to pull myself together until the excess adrenaline drains from my system. If I have time to anticipate the danger, that adrenaline just keeps building and refuses to leave me alone. As I looked down over the several rows of armored ponies, I could feel adrenaline beginning to flood into me and demand my immediate action to a problem that hadn't occurred yet.

"You okay?" asked Twilight, who just moved forward to sit opposite me on the balcony.

I snapped out of my haze and took stock of my surroundings again. Applejack and Pinkie Pie had each found a seat near the arch leading back into the castle, and were busy checking over their equipment. Pinkie's teeth were busily pulling at a loose buckle somewhere on the harness for Applejack's heavy barding. Further down the hall, Rainbow, Rarity, and Fluttershy were all heading back to their respective rooms, presumably to get some last minute supplies.

"I'm fine," I muttered back, and offered a small grin to help alleviate her worries. "The stress is just starting to wear on me, that's all. It's nothing I haven't been through before."

Twilight gave me a warm smile and nudged against me slightly. "Don't worry, I'm sure everything will turn out alright." Her horn glowed as she picked something up out of a pocket from her overcoat, and levitated it over to me. "Here, you left this in the library. I figured you were going to want it back."

I smirked as I realized I had forgotten the one piece of equipment my horn hadn't replaced. I took my silver and ruby banded shield charm from Twilight's telekinetic grip and slipped it over the end of my horn.

"Thanks," I said while using a hoof to tap it down into a snug fit on my horn. "I need to make a shield charm that's a bit more comfortable to wear." A small chuckle came to me as I tried to think of something to diffuse my tension. "Hey Twilight, I don't suppose you've ever seen Luna in any kind of armor before?"

Twilight smiled and leaned back on her haunches, "No I haven't. I don't think she's been in any kind of real combat since her banishment."

I chuckled as I tried to imagine Luna's possible equipment. "If she's anything like her sister, she'll probably wear something unnecessarily flashy, like that golden armor you could see from space."

We just sat there and laughed together at Luna's expense for a few minutes. I wouldn't have ever dared say that in front of the demigod herself, but with all that was going on, I needed something to laugh at, and I think Twilight did too. Besides, I dare you to find a tactical advantage of golden armor over good old-fashioned plated steel.

* * *

I consider myself a very lucky man that Luna didn't overhear what I said about her sister's armor.

As we marched through a much looser collection of trees than the ones leading to the Life Drinker's lab, I got a good view of what the Moon Goddess saw fit to wear into battle. Over almost every part of her body, Luna wore what looked like sculpted sheets of darkened ice. Her back, neck, head, all four legs, and even the bony edge of her wings were all covered in a thick sheet of ice that conformed to her body. Whereas Celestia's armor of choice was exceedingly bright, much like her coat, Luna's ice seemed to blend in with her fur, and even her surroundings to some degree. If I angled my head just right, and took great care to not be noticed looking up from beneath her lest awkward things be said, it'd be extremely difficult to pinpoint the outline separating her body from the night sky. I wasn't sure about the protection capabilities of compacted ice, but if that armor was created and maintained through her magic, then I doubted it'd be likely to break anytime soon. Not only that, but Luna practically radiated cold energy. The very air around her was cold enough that I could see my breath turning to fog as it escaped my muzzle.

Luna marched a few feet in front of us with a confident stride that somehow never caused her armor pieces to clink together. I leaned my head down to Twilight, who was marching right next to me, and whispered into her ear, "Just so we're clear, you did 'cure' Nightmare Moon right?"

"I assure you, I am no longer afflicted by that madness," Luna said without turning her head around. "My coat would be much darker if I was, and you'd likely be dead or imprisoned somewhere."

Twilight said nothing instead she rolled her eyes at me as I clamped my mouth shut._ Damn, good ears._

Michael walked next to Luna, his eyes scanning the surrounding trees for any signs of hostile movement._Amoracchius_, sitting on his side in its sheath, gave off a faint glow, offering us a much needed light source in the dark of the forest. The rest of my group, even Rainbow, all marched on the ground around Twilight and I. The nine of us formed a fairly broad circle with Luna and Michael in the lead, Applejack, Pinkie, and Rainbow on the sides, Rarity and Fluttershy in the rear, and with Twilight and I in the center.

All around us marched the complete force of military prowess that Canterlot had to offer. On either side of our circle, and for a few hundred feet behind us, large numbers of ponies marched in tightly packed squares. The most heavily armored ponies made up the borders of the squares, their spear tips waving slightly above them and their gleaming armor on proud display. The centers of the squares were made up of the lighter armored ponies. Several crossbow armed pegasi in lightweight gear and medics kept pace behind their personal walls of Equestrian steel.

The trees we marched through were thin enough that the soldiers and volunteers could move ahead with little difficulty, and only had to break formation to maneuver around the occasional large bundle of trees. As thinly occupied as the ground was, the treetops above branched out impossibly wide and obscured most of the night sky.

"Ma'am," Michael spoke up. His ears twitched at every sound they picked up, and his eyes were more focused on the treetops than the path he walked. "I feel an… unease. I believe we are being watched."

Luna's body immediately tensed and her eyes shifted around the treetops above us. "I'd be surprised if they haven't been watching us since the moment we set hoof in these trees," she muttered aloud, her horn began glowing as she charged some spell. "We are getting close to our destination though." Luna's gaze shifted from the treetops back down to Twilight and the her friends, "Bearers of the Elements, I believe it is past time for you all to earn that title again."

Luna's horn flashed a bright blue as a surge of similar magic coalesced in the air in front of her. In the blink of an eye, and with a second flash of blue light, five golden jeweled amulets and one ornate tiara popped into existence in front of Luna. The sudden appearance of the jewelry immediately drew the eyes of Twilight, her friends, and more than a few of the soldiers around us.

"The Elements of Harmony!" exclaimed Rarity, her mouth practically drooling as she looked at the ornate jewelry. "I was hoping we would get to use these again."

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the floating amulets and tiara held jewels that matched the different colors and shapes of the cutie marks of the mares around me. Aside from the obvious visual connection, those 'Elements' radiated extremely powerful energy that drew my attention like a fly to honey. Most every kind of potent magic or magical artifact I'd ever come in close contact with, felt like I was standing next to extremely powerful live wires; the hairs on my body would stand on end and I'd be acutely aware of how close to potential pain I was. These 'Elements' gave me that same feeling of being near powerful magic, but delivered it in a way I hadn't really encountered very often. The jewelry radiated warmth and calmness to everything around them, much in the same way Michael and _Amoracchius_did. I could actually feel the apprehension for the coming battle easing away just by being near them. They did indeed match the description of what I knew about the Elements of Harmony.

"I'm unsure as to specifically how the Elements will react to these creatures, but now is not the time for half measures," Luna said as the Elements floated over to their respective owners.

Twilight smiled as the tiara hovered in front of her face, "Thank you, Princess. This will definitely give us the edge we need."

As the tiara and the necklaces neared their respective owners, several warning bells started going off in the back of my head. Something about the base nature of the Elements of Harmony, how they're meant to be used, and the situation we were in just didn't sit right with me. When in doubt, always listen to your gut.

"Wait!" I shouted before any of the Bearers could properly put on their Elements. They paused in their motions and each gave me confused looks, though not pausing in their marching. Luna and Michael shot me perplexed looks as well, Luna's magical grip still firmly around the Elements. I ignored them all and scrunched my nose as I tried to figure out why my instincts were yelling at me.

"Harry, what is it?" Fluttershy squeaked from behind me.

I didn't answer immediately, choosing instead to shoot Twilight a quick glance before I spoke. "These Elements, after you use them, there's a nasty cool down period right?"

"Uh, well yeah," Twilight said matter-of-factly. "You don't just get to channel as much energy as the Elements of Harmony have, without some kind of backlash. If we were to use them repeatedly, without at least a couple of hours break, then our bodies would become severely damaged."

Applejack craned her head around to peer at us over her back, "Really? The Elements of Harmony could actually hurt us, even if we're using them against somepony like the Red King?"

Twilight hesitantly nodded her head, "Yes they can, but only if we use them incorrectly. Their base purpose is to dispel darkness with harmony, but power is still power, and our bodies can only handle so much in a short amount of time."

"Shouldn't be too hard, we've done it before with Nightmare Moon and Discord," Rainbow chided, still casting her eyes around above us. "We just need to make sure we hit him the first time."

"No," I interrupted. "_You_ are not using them at all." I ignored the collective shocked glares of the various mares and shifted my gaze until I was looking up intently at one of the original Bearers of the Elements. "Luna, do you think you could you use the Elements?"

Rainbow actually pivoted around mid-step and butted her head against mine. "Her!? Why her? _We're_ the Bearers of the Elements, not Luna."

"Ms. Dash, please," Luna said, gesturing at Rainbow to calm down. Rainbow grunted at me and reluctantly backed off. "As blunt as she was, Ms. Dash is correct. I am not connected to the Elements in the same way as the Bearers are, and truth be told, Celestia and I never really were. The Elements require six friends that exhibit the individual traits the Elements represent," Luna explained while ducking her head under a particularly low hanging tree branch. "Even if I tried, I wouldn't be able to use them to their full potential."

"But can you use them?" I pressed on. "Can you get nothing from them at all?"

Luna hesitated and frowned, clearly lost in thought. "In theory, I could," she muttered after several moments. "After all, my sister used them all in order to gain the power necessary to fight Nightmare Moon. I could do the same thing and wield the Elements against the Red King, but at best I'd get a boost in my power reserves instead of unlocking their full potential."

"So why would you want her to use them?" Rarity piped up. "If we use them, we can end this whole mess much faster."

I shook my head violently in response, "No, if you use them, you'll be targeted and killed or captured long before you manage to pose a significant threat." A long silence followed my statement where all six of the Bearers, and even Luna stopped marching to stare perplexed at me. I sighed before I started explaining myself. "From what you've told me before, the Elements of Harmony are widely known and respected icons, if not because of the princesses then because of you six," I said with a sweeping gesture at my team. "There's no way the Red King hasn't heard about them and their power. If you go into a fight with one of the Elements, then you're painting a massive target on yourself. I'd bet good money that the Red King told his vampires to focus on anypony seen wearing one of the Elements."

Twilight and her friends exchanged several uncertain glances at that. Luna frowned at me and drew the Elements a little closer to her, her eyes danced around in her head as she tried to find a flaw with my logic. As we just stood there gawking at each other, Michael and the rest of our considerable force pressed on without us. The different lines of soldiers sidestepped around us as they marched by, giving the eight of us a wide birth.

"Do you really think so?" Twilight broke the silence. "Do you really think the Red King would use the Elements against us?" Twilight, and most of her friends for that matter, bore expressions that suggested they couldn't quite believe the Elements of Harmony could be used against to endanger those they were supposed to protect.

I inhaled through clenched teeth and nodded, "Yes, because it's what I'd do." Several of the mares gave me odd looks with more than a few quirked eyebrows.

"And if the Red King got a hold one or more of the Elements, he might not even need Celestia," Twilight muttered, her face becoming increasingly distraught. "Depending on how his draining spell works, he might be able to just absorb the Elements' power without the need to break a conscious mind." Twilight sighed and shook her head, "I hate to admit it, but he's right. We're too vulnerable to risk that happening."

"You are," Luna interjected, "but I'm a significantly harder target to take."

I nodded furiously at Luna, "Exactly. If Luna has the Elements, it'll draw attention away from us, and will still enable us to have their power in play."

"Anypony ever tell you, that working with you is tough on the nerves?" Applejack said with a slight chuckle.

I grinned widely, "It has been said before, yes."

"Well what are we all waiting around here for?" Pinkie chirped, bouncing in place as she spoke. "Let's get going! The other ponies are leaving us behind!"

At those words, I was brought back to the reality of where we were standing and realized that almost two thirds of our marching force had passed by us. All of the mares, besides Pinkie, gave surprised starts when they too realized this, and immediately rushed to make their way back to the front of the column. I made to follow after the retreating bushel of deep purple that was Twilight's tail, but was stopped by a midnight blue hoof covered in a thick layer of black ice.

"Dresden, I would have a word with you," Luna said in an authoritative tone, but took care to prevent it from being a direct command.

Twilight noticed I wasn't following and turned a confused eye back towards me. I waved a hoof and motioned for her to continue on. She did, albeit unwillingly, turn her back to me and rejoined her friends.

Luna's eyes tracked Twilight as she raced past her soldiers, and sighed heavily once Twilight was out of easy earshot. "Dresden, the magnitude of what we are about to do is unlike anything Equestria has faced before."

Luna turned her gaze down over me; her piercing eyes and intimidating presence practically cemented my hooves into the forest floor. At that moment, I was uncomfortably reminded that the being before me was an age old immortal that had power to seriously threaten most of the nastier things I've come across.

"With what is at risk here, I… I must put the continued safety of my little ponies before all else," she said, her voice failing her for a brief moment. "The Red King cannot win, Dresden. Whatever else happens, he cannot win. That is why I have decided, that if he proves too powerful and we fail, then I must take even more drastic measures. I will invoke my, as you call it, Death Curse."

My jaw abruptly tried to tunnel its way down to the planet's core. I just couldn't quite believe I had heard those words come out of the princess's mouth, not only because I didn't want to envision an Equestria without Luna, but also because I had a hard time comprehending the sheer amount of raw destructive power she'd proposed. When any magic user uses their Death Curse, it allows to the wizard in question to tap into power that magnifies their abilities several times over; but the kind of power Luna might be able to bring to bear, was truly frightening to consider.

I'm no pushover when it comes to pure magical muscle. Several years of beating back, or at least surviving, multiple very nasty things trying to tear me to bloody little pieces have given me a lot of experience in combat magic. That, on top of a natural deep well of energy, means that I am very good at making things that try to threaten me, die. If I were to take my natural reserves of energy, my experience, and then amplify that with my Death Curse into a single massive blast, the resulting burst of magic would probably be enough to level multiple city blocks.

Luna was on a different level entirely. As a demigod, Luna's power was, quite literally, indefinable. She had the power and skills necessary to cause a physical transformation that gave night vision to the entirety of Canterlot, and hold that transformation for several long minutes. If Luna chose to use her life to amplify the powers of a demigod even further, then she could probably make Celestia's second sun look like a little firecracker. With that power at her disposal, the Red King would certainly be eradicated, no matter what defenses he'd made; although, there'd likely be no way to control that much energy either. If she was forced into that action, not only would Luna and the Red King die, but so would Twilight, Michael, the rest of the Bearers, and pretty much every single living thing for several miles. Luna's Death Curse was her failsafe plan.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, my voice wavering slightly at the prospect that my life could be ended by my allies just as easily as my enemies.

Luna leaned forward a little and lowered her voice so that she was a little hard to make out over the sound of the thundering hooves all around us, "Because you need to understand what's at risk. The Bearers may have fought and drawn blood, but they're still new to all of this. Don't forget who watched over you after you collapsed in the middle of a class. I've seen inside your mind, Dresden. You've been fighting for most of your life, and are at your most ferocious when at your most desperate. I need all of my ponies to fight with every bit of ferocity they have." Luna's eyes narrowed until it looked as though she were glaring at me with an intense fury, "One way or another, this all ends tonight."

"Princess!" shouted a gruff male voice from somewhere above us. As one, Luna and I pivoted to face a lightly armored pegasus scout that was rushing towards us over the heads of the marching ponies. "Princess, Commander, we've reached the clearing in front of Nightmare Moon's shrine."

"Thank you, scout. You may return to your post," Luna responded. The pegasus nodded and immediately soared off to the front of the column, leaving behind a few dark brown feathers in his wake. "You should return to the front as well. Your friends will be wanting your presence very soon." The Elements of Harmony, which Luna was still holding in her magical grip, floated over to her as she started to put them on. The five amulets fell awkwardly over each other around her neck, and the tiara fitted itself just behind Luna's horn. "I'll take to the sky and give you all as much protection as my powers, and the Elements, will allow. The majority of the fighting should come down to the main body of our force. Steel yourself, Dresden."

With that said, Luna flared her wings out above her, and brought them down hard. A massive rush of wind signaled her departure, and she was suddenly in the sky above the soldiers before I could get in another word. Immediately after she hit the open air, a couple dozen dark colored pegasi leapt from scattered positions amongst the soldiers, and moved to hover all around the princess. Luna's personal guard were garbed in much darker colored armor than their standard military counterparts. It was very fitting, considering that their lighter barding allowed them a freer range of movement and could easily allow them to adopt stealth tactics if they needed too.

I sighed, pivoted around on the spot, and galloped madly towards the front of our group. Several armored ponies shot me questioning looks as I rushed past them. Shortly after beginning my gallop, the trees thinned and eventually faded away entirely, and I was suddenly faced with several hundred meters worth of flat grassland. For whatever reason, my immediate instinctive reaction was to note that this was amazing grazing land, with long and lush fields of clean grass. I fought back that slightly disturbing urge and forced myself to focus more on the coming hours, and less on the fact that my stomach was starting to grumble.

The edges of the clearing were difficult to make out in the dark of the night, only the trees I had just come from were easily identifiable. I ignored all that and continued moving forward. In short order, I was once again standing amongst my friends, with Twilight at my side, and Michael and the rest of the Bearers forming a protective ring around us.

"You were talking with Princess Luna for a while. What'd she want?" Twilight asked tentatively.

"Uh…" I bit my lip as I hesitated for a brief moment. "Let's call it a motivational speech."

"Really?" Applejack piped up, peering around her shoulder as she did so. "No offense to the princess, but Luna never really struck me as a motivational speaker."

_No argument here._

"The p-princess is nervous?" Fluttershy squeaked. "B-but if she's scared, then... then..."

"Don't worry about it, Fluttershy," Pinkie chirped, her armor clanking only slightly as she bounced along. "Your old Auntie Pinkie won't let anything bad happen to you."

"Well said, Ms. Pie," Michael chuckled, his smile actually reaching far enough on the side of his head, that I could see it without him needing to look around. "So long as you remain vigilant, good will always find a way to overcome."

"As comforting as your endless supplies of benediction are, shouldn't we be focusing more on the impending violence?" I commented with a small smirk.

"The 'impending violence' may be a bit sooner than you think. Look." Rainbow squinted off into the distance and pointed a hoof ahead of her.

We each followed where her hoof was pointing, and tried to focus on the darkness at the edge of our vision. After squinting my eyes, I could barely make out the vague outlines of five ponies in the distance; any distinguishing markings were lost in the shadows. Silence swept over us as we slowed our brisk marching pace down to a slow trot, and then we stopped entirely.

Michael, Applejack, and Pinkie stood in a line nearest the vague shapes that had begun to move out of the shadows. Rainbow, Fluttershy, Rarity, Twilight and I stood in a small semicircle behind them and shot hate filled glares forward; well, everypony except Fluttershy anyway. On either side of us, and coming up behind us, scores upon scores of gruff armed and armored ponies marched and fell in formation, coming to a stop even with Michael. Just from my peripheral vision, I could see several hundred weapons being readied for what was to come. Spears were pointed ahead, short swords were drawn, crossbows were being loaded, and they all gleamed with a razor's edge.

"I'm glad to see you received our master's invitation. Personally, I had my doubts and thought that Luna wouldn't be looking hard enough, but I guess I was wrong," cried an extremely raspy voice that originated from the forms ahead. Its owner stepped forward and into easy view, revealing the black leathery skin and white pointed teeth of a Red Court vampire. "You brought quite the entourage, but I'm afraid your proper king is only accepting one guest at a time for the moment."

"Release Celestia, vampire," Michael shouted back, his voice becoming the very deep and threatening baritone that was almost the polar opposite of his usual jovial manner. "Release her, and surrender yourselves to the princesses. Enough blood has been spilled, and we do not want anymore to be shed."

The speaking vampire's smile grew very wide, showing off nearly every one of his pointed teeth. "Tempting, but no thank you. I don't really feel like going back to serving under those two 'princesses' again. They're too… weak, for my tastes."

Several low growls emanated from various soldiers all around us, and more bits of Equestrian steel glinted in the moonlight. "Do not mistake mercy for weakness, Chuckles," I shouted from behind Michael. "We're more than happy to take her back over your burning corpses."

The vampire raised a single claw and waved it back and forth in an almost joking manner, "I'd advise against that."

As he spoke, several other dark forms stepped out of the shadows to reveal themselves. Several shapes solidified and emerged from the shadows in front of us, and from the trees around us. Countless vampires began streaming out of the trees on the edges of the clearing to either side. Pointed white teeth and glistening black eyes advanced on us from three different angles, and stopped a couple of hundred feet away. A veritable sea of nasty had us covered from our front and sides.

_Typical predator tactics, if they're not sneaking around to try and slit our throats, they appear as big and as scary as possible._I craned my head around to look back at my own flood of thick Equestrian steel that was still pouring out of the forest we had come from. Above us, I dimly noted a thick cloud of impenetrable shadows. I could feel an immense and familiar power emanating from that cloud. _I don't care how intimidating the vampires think they are, I've got a literal immortal watching over me. Even if this does go south, it'll be one hell of show._

The vampire that had been speaking thus far took several more steps forward, "I'll repeat myself for the sake of the slow. We will not surrender, and you may not take our property. You are welcome to negotiate with your king, however. Maybe he will listen to his subjects' pleas." He somehow managed to smile even wider. "One at a time, please."

_Wow… That's such a trap, it's not even a trap. I think I'm going to enjoy bucking that smug smile off his face._

Evidently Twilight was thinking along those same lines. "You honestly believe we'd let you sacrifice us to your master?" she shouted from beside me.

"You can step aside and give us Princess Celestia back, or we can take her from you," Rainbow Dash added, her wings began beating the air as she was lifted off the ground.

"Then we are at an impasse." The vampire turned his attention towards the ponies immediately behind us, and raised his voice so that he could be easily heard by all of them. "Unless you've come to pledge yourself, and become subservient to your king, then I'm afraid your lives are forfeit and will become little more than food. What is your answer?"

Normally, there's no way I'd miss such an easy opportunity, but Michael beat me to the proverbial punch, with as much fanfare as the holy knight could muster.

Michael stomped a hoof into the ground and snarled at the encircling vampires. "Enough! I will not allow this farce to continue any further!" Michael took several steps forward, putting him solidly at the front of our army. Across his back, _Amoracchius_ began to glow with a pale white light. "You are demons, corrupters and defilers of innocence! You are pretenders of power and followers of a false God, and a tyrant king!"_Amoracchius_ pulsed with more and more light, the more he spoke. The exposed half of _Amoracchius_ pointed threateningly at the vampires before him. "If you refuse to seek penance, then you will receive retribution. On this night, you will answer for your sins. Now face Judgment Almighty!"

Michael craned his head back and seized _Amoracchius_. The moment his teeth clamped on that handle, the dull glowing light that had been steadily growing, practically exploded outward. The vampires howled in pain and rage as the beacon of light that was Michael charged forward, intent on every form of mayhem his holy weapon was capable of.

Immediately behind him, were the thundering hooves of almost a thousand armed and very angry ponies, myself included. If a small earthquake were to happen, I don't think we would've noticed. The rhythmic pounding of so many hooves was enough to create a shockwave that shook the very trees at the edge of the clearing.

Scores of pegasi leapt into the air above us, darkening the night sky even further with their large wings. Rainbow abruptly disappeared from our side as she joined the other pegasi in the sky. The air immediately in front of, and around the ponies nearest the vampires began to shimmer and coalesce into large planes of transparent energy of varying colors. I dimly noted that several of the unicorns around us, had their horns ignited as they either maintained their shields, or readied a magical attack.

Time seemed to slow as we charged forward, and the vampires did the same, after shaking off the initial shock Michael caused anyway. In the adrenaline infused rush, I could almost count every hair on Applejack's tail right in front of me. Beyond her, I watched, in great detail, the vampires as they moved toward us. Long sharp claws dug deep furrows in the ground below them. Large bat like wing stretched out above them, and several vampire pegasi launched themselves into the air when those wings came down.

I bellowed a feral battle cry that was lost among all the others around me, and readied my own magic strike. Beside me, Twilight did the exact same. Her eyes flashed with an intense anger and the air around her thrummed with powerful energy. Her mouth hung open in a roar of challenge as she galloped towards the creatures responsible for her parents' death.

In mere moments, Michael's blade made contact with the lead speaking vampire, and sliced almost clean through it. The vampire shrieked as it fell thrashing to the ground, silver-white fire spreading from the points of contact with _Amoracchius_. I felt a brief pang of jealousy at not being the one to permanently wipe that smile off his face. That feeling was completely forgotten as the fallen vampire's comrades merely leapt over him, to get at us. Less than a second later, the main body of the Equestrian military collided with the Red Court vampires, and all hell broke loose.


End file.
